Crossroads Care Surrey has condemned Surrey County Council’s response to the petition against the termination of the Carers’ Respite Service, accusing the Council of ignoring its own independent research and dismissing the voices of thousands of unpaid carers.
In 2023, the Council commissioned an independent review into carers’ needs. The strongest and most consistent findings were clear: carers urgently needed more hours of respite, greater flexibility in how breaks were delivered, continuity of trusted staff and clear onward support once breaks ended.
Instead of acting on this evidence, Surrey County Council has terminated the long-standing respite breaks contract and replaced it with a one-off £300 pre-paid card, worth just 8 or 9 hours of care. Carers had already described the previous 35-hour limit as “a drop in the ocean” and “an insult”. The new scheme is a step backwards, not forwards.
“The Council says it is listening to carers but the evidence shows otherwise,” said Terry Hawkins, CEO of Crossroads Care Surrey.
“Their own research told them carers needed more hours, flexibility, continuity and confidence in replacement care. Instead, they have ignored those findings and dressed up a cost-cutting exercise as ‘choice and flexibility.’ A £300 voucher is not a break, it’s a token gesture.”
Crossroads Care Surrey also warned that this decision risks breaching the Council’s duties under the Care Act 2014, which requires local authorities to promote carers’ wellbeing and provide preventative support to avoid crisis.
“By stripping away meaningful respite, the Council is placing even more pressure on families, the NHS and local services,” added Mr Hawkins.
“This decision doesn’t just let carers down, it will increase carer burnout, emergency admissions and demand on already overstretched health services.”
Thousands of carers, backed by MPs and councillors from across parties, have already called on the Council to reverse this decision. Crossroads Care Surrey is urging Surrey County Council to act responsibly, reinstate a respite service that reflects carers’ real needs and stop hiding behind rhetoric while families struggle.
