To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the reasons for using a community/voluntary organisation to administer the Carers Support Fund; (ii) why payments will not be made similarly to the COVID-19 Recognition Payment for Health and Social Care Trust workers; and (iii) where the money will come from to pay the associated administration costs of the scheme.

The Support for Carers’ Fund will be managed on the Department’s behalf by an Intermediary Funding Body (Community Foundation NI) who has the expertise and resources to operate such a grant funding programme. Community Foundation NI has a proven track record as an Intermediary Funding Body operating within Northern Ireland.

The Support for Carers’ Fund has been established with the aim of providing funds to charitable organisations working with and for carers to deliver agreed outcomes. The Fund will not provide for cash sums to be paid to individuals, and therefore has no links to the recognition payment to health and social care staff.

The administration costs are contained within the overall amount allocated to the Fund. In this case a fee of £302k will be paid to Community Foundation NI from the overall Fund value of £4.4m.