Social Services Minister to launch National Carers Strategy, Action Plan

Unpaid carers will have access to 10,000 additional phone counselling sessions as part of the government’s first National Carers Strategy and Action Plan in nearly a decade.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on Tuesday will launch both policies, which aim to bolster the health and wellbeing of the three million Aussies who may be looking after an ageing or sick parent or loved one.

The strategy promises to recognise, value and empower carers so they can “participate fully in society and fulfil their caring role”.

The plan comes as the number of carers, who are largely women, is expected to grow in the coming decades with the number of Australians aged 65 and over set to double, and the number of Aussies aged 85 and over primed to triple in the next 40 years.

On Tuesday, Ms Rishworth will also announce that the operating hours for support services accessed via the Carer Gateway will be extended to give recipients more flexibility, in addition to the 10,000 extra phone counselling sessions to help more than 1600 people.

Access to peer support services and training will also be expanded.

Ms Rishworth said the strategy would use the budget funding of $907m in the four years to 2027-28 to provide “vital support” for people looking after their loved ones.

“We know caring is not a one size fits all experience, and that carers are a diverse group of people with a variety of needs and experiences,” she said.

“That’s why it was so important for us that the strategy was built with carers, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate in our consultation process and shape a strategy that will drive real and needed improvements in the lives of all Australia’s carers.”

In October, the National Carer Survey conducted by Carers NSW found more than one in two carers experiences either moderate or low levels of psychological distress, with more than half of the 10,096 respondents stating their wellbeing was either low or very low.

Nearly 60 per cent of respondents also said they were financially stressed, despite nearly 40 per cent of carers stating they balanced work with their caring responsibilities.

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