Carer Cards launched in Ceredigion

A Carer Card has been launched for unpaid carers who look after family members or friends who wouldn’t be able to manage on their own without the support and care of an unpaid carer.

The Carer Card is a photo ID card issued by Ceredigion County Council’s Carers Unit to carers aged 18 and over who have registered with Ceredigion County Council’s Carers Information Service and who ask for a Carer Card.

This has been developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the early months of the pandemic, many carers contacted Ceredigion County Council to ask for something they could use to prove that they are caring for someone in the event that they were challenged when collecting and delivering essential supplies for that person.

Paid care workers have rightly received praise and credit during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we want to raise the profile of unpaid carers in Ceredigion so that they are recognised and valued in the community for all the hard work that they do.

The Carer Card verifies that the person shown on the card is an unpaid carer with caring responsibilities. We hope having a Carer Card will bring reassurance to carers that their unpaid role as a carer is recognised and valued in Ceredigion, and also gives reassurance that they are able to shop for the people they care for during priority shopping times, if necessary.

As a Carer Champion, Councillor Catherine Hughes, Ceredigion County Council Cabinet Member for Porth Ceredigion, Early Intervention, Wellbeing Hubs and Culture, said: “The Carers Card is an invaluable asset as it identifies the people who are working tirelessly to look after family members or friends in our community. Their hard work, kindness and efforts is very much appreciated and I’m glad that the Carer Card will be a way of giving carers the recognition they deserve, and hopefully helping them to complete ordinary tasks with ease.”

Cardholders will have access to priority shopping opportunities with retailers who are participating in the scheme. A list of retailers and other benefits is available on Ceredigion County Council’s Carer Card page.

The Carer Card is new to Ceredigion and we are working with local businesses and other organisations to identify the benefits and discounts that having a Carer Card will give. The Carers Unit asks local retailers and businesses to get in touch if they would like to participate in the scheme by offering some kind of discount or concession to Carer Card cardholders.

For more information, and to apply for a FREE Ceredigion Carer Card, visit our Carer card page or contact the Carers Unit by calling 01970 633564 or emailing carersunit@ceredigion.gov.uk.

A Young Carers Card is also in development and will be launched in November. Keep an eye out on the Council’s social media pages for more information.