“The Government needs to do more to help unpaid carers who are the backbone of care and support and provide invaluable support to their loved ones.”
Responding to a Carers Trust report, on 86 per cent of unpaid carers feeling ignored by successive governments, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Our care system could not survive without the contribution of unpaid carers, who provide vital support for thousands of people every day. Councils fully recognise their crucial role and assess and support hundreds of thousands of carers every year but could do even more with the right resources.
“The Government needs to do more to help unpaid carers who are the backbone of care and support and provide invaluable support to their loved ones. In the recent adult social care white paper, there is helpful recognition of the crucial role played by unpaid carers and a clear commitment to empower them. However, this ambition does not appear to be matched with a proportionate allocation of funding to bring about the kinds of changes needed.
“The only dedicated funding aligned to this priority is £25 million to pilot a change in the services provided to support unpaid carers. Whilst any investment is to be welcomed, this needs to be seen in the context of the estimated £111 billion of care provided by unpaid carers since the start of the pandemic. Any successes to come from these pilots should be given sustainable funding.
“We know that caring can place a real strain on carers – emotionally, physically and financially. This has been exacerbated for many by the pandemic, which has also further highlighted the incredibly valuable role played by unpaid carers and the difficult circumstances they face.
“Councils are the main commissioner of respite services for unpaid carers and the LGA has produced a number of case studies that demonstrate how local councils, working closely and collaboratively with local partners, support carers in innovative ways.”
Notes to Editors
An estimated 4.5 million additional people have become unpaid carers because of the pandemic. This is on top of the 9.1 million unpaid carers already caring before COVID-19.
Carers, who are mostly women (57 per cent), are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and stress and nearly two-thirds of carers have a long-standing health condition.
Unpaid carers have been more affected by the pandemic compared to the general public on aspects of life including work, loneliness, household finances and access to groceries, medication and essentials. Young carers have significantly lower levels of attainment at GCSE level and are more likely to not be in education, employment or training.