An update in the law under the Care Act 2014 means carers up and down the country will be more entitled to an assessment of their needs.

The change will come into affect in April next year, with the Sutton Carers Centre expecting a huge influx in carers coming through their doors.

The local authority funded centre already has around 6,000 carers coming in every year, who they offer a range of services such as counselling and wellbeing, support groups, and helping with accessing benefits.

Changes in the law will mean every carer is set to be entitled to an assesment of their needs, and experts at the Benhill Avenue site predict this will have a huge impact locally.

The centre's chief executive Rachel Macleod is expecting to see the number of carers on their books more than double in size.

She said: "Despite the fact Sutton Council has been made to make a huge amount of cuts to services in the coming years, our budget is ring-fenced, so we are unlikely to see a drop in our funding.
 
"But we do have a deficit forecast for next year already, and we are affected by austerity measures.

"We are going to have to work insanely hard to stay on top of it all. 

"Just imagine how our carers feel."

Christine King, 67, from Wallington, is a volunteer at the centre who also cares for her husband.

Staff at the centre helped her apply for benefits when she had difficulty filling out forms.

She said: "I had to apply for disability living allowance which were entitled to, and without this place it never would have happened."

Shirley Dunn, 71, cares for husband who has terminal cancer.

She said: "I was also supported by the centre when I needed help filling out forms. 

"Without this centre, I don’t know where I would be."

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Shirley Dunn who cares for her husband