Revitalise launches the 2024 Give me a Break campaign at Trafalgar Square

Of the 4.7 million unpaid carers in England only 1 in 129 are receiving respite support, a 37% fall since 2015. Carers at breaking point are being denied respite care – this is unlawful and is a breach of the 2014 Care Act.

Today, national charity Revitalise launched the 2024 Give me a break campaign at Trafalgar Square in London. 129 deck chairs were set across the Square to reflect that out of the 4.7 million unpaid carers in England and Wales, only 1 in 129 carers receive respite support – a shocking and unacceptable statistic.

A few Revitalise guests from Jubilee Lodge holiday centre, along with Muneeba who is mum and carer to Yusuf (Revitalise guest), also came to Trafalgar Square to lend their support.

Respite care is a statutory right for those who need it, but drastic cuts to local authority funding mean that many carers are not getting any breaks. A recent survey carried out by Revitalise found that over 60% of carers had not had a break in the past year and over 25% of respondents had never had a break at all.

Ahead of the upcoming general election, the Give me a break campaign calls on the next government to take heed of the critical state of affairs in the social care sector. In particular, the significant fall in access to respite support.

The social care sector has warned successive governments about the dire lack of funding and the intolerable pressure this puts on unpaid carers. Revitalise’s guests and their families have been abandoned by both politicians and policymakers and are at breaking point.

Revitalise is the leading provider of accessible respite breaks and holidays for those requiring 24-hour care in the UK, and is dedicated to enabling individuals with disabilities and their caregivers to experience genuine holidays. The Give me a break campaign aims to raise awareness of the severe challenges facing disabled people and carers and calls for action to provide and protect respite funding.