Direct payments have already been extended to carers. The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 empowered local authorities to make direct payments to carers (including 16 and 17-year-old carers) for the services that meet their own assessed needs.
The local government finance settlement was announced on 28 November 2006. Details of the carers grant allocations for 2007-08 can be found in LASSL 2006(1), which has been placed in the Library.
Subsequent allocations will be made in line with the outcome of the comprehensive spending review 2007, which we anticipate will be announced next summer.