Stuart McMillan MSP has welcomed the news that £300,000 worth of Scottish Government funding will go towards supporting young carers across Scotland during the pandemic.
This support is part of the £350 million communities funding to help people and communities affected by COVID-19.
Young Scot will receive £200,000 to provide online subscriptions and e-vouchers for young carers and the remaining £100,000 will go to expanding the Time To Live small grants scheme.
Commenting, the SNP MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde said:
“As Carers’ Week kicks-off, I’m delighted that the Scottish Government have provided £300,000 worth of support for young carers.
“There are an estimated 29,000 young carers in Scotland making an invaluable contribution to society. However, many of them do not experience the same opportunities as their peers, due to having more responsibility and less free time.
“Many of those young people may be under even greater strain that usual just now, and have not had a chance to take a break from caring due to the impact of COVID-19.
“That’s why I welcome this package of support to provide as many young carers as possible with access to as e-vouchers, subscription packages and short breaks that can help improve their quality of life during this time.
“This is in addition to the Young Carer Grant of £305 per year. Anyone aged between 16 and 18 years old who spends more than 16 hours per week caring for a person in receipt of certain disability benefits can apply – and I would encourage them to do so.
“The Scottish Government also recently confirmed that carers in receipt of Carers’ Allowance will receive an additional supplement later this month. This extra payment of £230.10 is set to benefit around 1,590 carers in Inverclyde, and represents an investment of £19.2 million in carers across Scotland.
“Carers’ Week is an opportunity to recognise and support Scotland’s unpaid carers, and this year’s theme is to ‘Make Caring Visible’, as too often carers are left to care behind closed doors.
“Inverclyde Carers’ Centre’s offers local carers with a Carer Passport, which entitles them to discounts at local businesses who have signed up to the scheme. This is a great way for local businesses to show their appreciation for local carers, and is one way of showing how grateful our community is for their hard work.
“I want to say a huge thank you to carers for the sacrifices they make to look after those in their care, and I’m proud that the SNP in government is recognising carers in Inverclyde for the important contribution they make to our communities in these extremely difficult circumstances.”
Stuart McMillan MSP 