Covid-19: Financial support

Carers

Many siblings don’t recognise themselves as carers or they may be providing care tasks for the first time because of the pandemic. If you are doing day-to-day tasks for your disabled brother or sister that you wouldn’t do for another adult who didn’t have their disability – then you are providing care for them.

• The government has confirmed that providing emotional support counts towards the Carer’s Allowance threshold of 35 hours of care. This can include sibling carers whose only contact with their disabled brother or sister to provide such emotional support, is through phone calls and social media. Read benefits advice from Carers UK for more info
• It is possible for family members to be paid direct payments for providing care – read this advice from the government here
• If you or your disabled brother or sister need extra help to pay for something there are many grants, funds, and charities that may be able to help – read more here
• Free PPE for unpaid carers in England – click here and scroll down to read more

In debt?

• You are not alone. Reach out to the charity Step Change for advice today
• The charity Shelter can advice on housing issues if you are at risk of homelessness
• The Trussell Trust operate food banks across the UK
• Information from Citizen’s Advice ‘If you can’t pay your bills because of coronavirus’
• Further general information from the government on coronavirus and finances (for example – unable to work, unemployed, changes to benefits, on furlough) is available here

Money and mental health

• Worried about your finances and your mental health? Read this from the Money Advice Service.
• This Mental Health and Money Toolkit is a resource to help you understand, manage and improve your mental and financial health. You can use it to help guide conversations with your relevant healthcare worker about your mental health and money. You can also take it with you to any money or debt advice appointments you might attend.

This page was last updated: 19th July 2021

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