Unpaid carers urge Scottish Government to extend free Covid vaccine after 'disappointing' exclusion

A group representing unpaid carers are urging the Scottish Government to offer them the Covid-19 booster this winter.

The coalition of carers in Scotland has said it is “deeply disappointed” by the decision not to include unpaid carers as an eligible group for the Covid vaccine.

While frontline health and care professionals will receive the vaccine for free, unpaid carers will need to pay, which the group say will “put unpaid carers at risk of being unable to provide care”.

The Coalition of Carers has urged the Scottish Government to extend the scheme in a letter addressed to John Swinney. They warn of a “substantial” cost to replace their care if they fall ill.

The group says that the carers they represent deliver an estimated £13.1bn worth of care that supports the NHS but are not treated equally.

The letter reads: “We are writing to you to express our disappointment at the exclusion of unpaid carers in the list of eligible groups for the Covid-19 vaccine and to request your urgent intervention in this matter.

“Many unpaid carers with significant caring roles will remain unprotected. This will potentially put unpaid carers at risk of being unable to provide care if they become unwell while also exacerbating the poor health that many unpaid carers already experience.

“We have heard from carers over the past week that they cannot risk becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 and, as a result, have been forced to pay for the vaccine themselves. Carers are already at a higher risk of poverty, and placing them in a situation where they must bear the cost of the Covid-19 vaccine as we head into winter is unacceptable.

“It is particularly concerning that unpaid carers are excluded from vaccine eligibility, while the Scottish Government has extended the Covid-19 vaccination to frontline health and social care workers as part of an occupational health programme.

“Beyond financial concerns, this exclusion reinforces the perception that unpaid carers are undervalued in our society and directly contradicts the Scottish Government’s Carers Strategy which emphasises that unpaid carers should be recognised as equal and active participants in care planning and decision-making.

“This is further evidenced in the recent publication of the Scottish Government’s Winter Plan, which frequently references the importance and value of unpaid carers alongside the health and social care workforce.”

The campaign comes amid the full rollout of the Carer Support Payment, which, from Monday, has been extended to every local authority in the country, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Orkney and the Scottish Borders.

The payment—worth £81.90 per week and paid by Social Security Scotland—is for unpaid carers who provide 35 or more hours of care a week to someone receiving disability benefits.