Worrying about money is common for everyone, but especially those who may have had to give up their working roles in favour of caring, or those of our carers who have stepped into part-time positions to allow themselves more time for their caring responsibilities.
Becoming a carer is rewarding, but it does bring it's own challenges, especially around the festive period. Carers can struggle to see loved-ones while balancing their role as a carer. Or it may be that carers require additional support with their finances around this time of year.
At Carers First, we want to ensure that our carers are informed on all financial assistance they may be entitled to due to their circumstances, this could include looking into:
- Benefits you or your cared for may be able to claim, such as Carer's Allowance, Universal Credit or Disability Living Allowance.
- Local funding for care costs, looking into support from your local council is a great way to find out about financial assistance, you can access this by requesting a financial assessment (or social care means test) to enable your local council to better understand how much they may be required to assist you. If you care for someone due to health-based needs, this will require you contacting the NHS.
- Help with bills such as council tax, energy bills, or water bills.
Carers First have put together a guide for budgeting as a carer, this covers topics such as 'How do I go about preparing a budget?', 'What is budgeting?' and more.
Budgeting is an helpful tool in getting the most out of your money, and is one of the most important steps to prioritise when looking at your finances. Budgets helps you to ensure you do not spend more money than you have coming in, but it is also a great asset to seeing exactly where your money goes, whether that is on household bills, food shops, or travel costs. Once you can see where your highest outgoings are, you can potentially work towards lowering those costs and saving yourself money where possible.
For further links on financial support you may be interested in, see below:
If you are struggling with isolation this festive period, see here for information, advice and support.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.