This blog was kindly written by Financial Wellbeing Officer Joe Brown.
‘Most people don’t plan on becoming carers, and with so much of their focus being on the person they are caring for, so many things can get overlooked or put on hold.
Many people find themselves having to adjust and adapt to a very different way of living with some unexpected demands on finances, and with no previous experience or knowledge they often don’t know where to go for practical and financial support, or how to navigate through the new challenges they now face. It can feel overwhelming. Also, for many people it can be hard to reach out or accept support.
That’s where Carer Money Matters can help. We are a friendly team and here to give advice and support when it’s needed. Over the last few months we have been busy getting the service up and running, while promoting what we do with communities and professionals.
I was very pleased to join the team at the end of last year, with colleagues bringing in expertise from diverse and complimentary backgrounds. From supporting people with mortgages, welfare and benefits advice, family support in education, health and social care and client facing roles.
Before I joined the team, I was already providing support to unpaid carers in Wiltshire through Carer Assessments, which gave me a solid grounding of the financial issues faced, and a broad working knowledge of social care and the welfare system. Previously I spent a decade supporting people managing Direct Payments for organising their own support and care. Having worked in the social care sector for some time I have seen many changes, witnessing significant cuts to social care budgets, while adapting and overcoming the hurdles. I also have close family and friends with caring roles and understand the impact it has on their lives.
While it’s Financial Literacy Month the Carer Money Matters team would like to highlight our service and share our expertise. We understand how difficult caring for someone can be, let alone knowing where to start looking for options of support. We are here to help and guide you through, and pass on what we know to equip you to deal with the financial issues around your caring role and look to the future with confidence.’
You can get in contact with any of our team by calling 800 368 8349 or emailing us on admin@carersupportdorset.co.uk.
