The report revealed that 87% of carers are “worried about what will happen to the people I care for if I have to self-isolate or become ill”.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, carers across the UK were already providing substantial amounts of care, valued at £132 billion a year.1The increased pressures carers are currently facing means many have changed the amount and type of care they are providing.
The results show that on average, carers are providing 10 hours more care per week than they were before the coronavirus outbreak. The average figure is now 65 hours per week, compared to 55 hours before.
Looking at the reasons why more care is being provided in detail, over a third (35%) of people said they were providing more care as a result of local services reducing or closing. This figure rose to 39% in Scotland, 36% in Wales and 45% in Northern Ireland.
However, 9% of carers said they are providing less care for one or more reasons. 7% of carers are providing less care because they are following Government guidance and reducing their social contact. Those caring for a parent were most likely to have reduced the amount of care they are providing for this reason with 13% selecting this option.
Key Findings:
- 70% of carers are providing more care due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Over a third (35%) of carers are providing more care as a result of local services reducing or closing.
- Carers are, on average, providing 10 additional hours of care a week.
- 69% of all carers are providing more help with emotional support, motivation, or keeping an eye/checking in on the person they care for.
- 81% of carers are spending more money at the moment. 72% are spending more on food and 50% are spending more on household bills.
- 38% of carers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I am worried about my financial situation”.
- The majority (55%) of carers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I feel overwhelmed and I am worried that I’m going to burnout in the coming weeks”.
- 87% of carers agreed/strongly agreed with the statement “I am worried about what will happen to the people I care for if I have to self-isolate or become ill”
Recommendations:
- Increase awareness and recognition of the role of unpaid carers.
- Ensure that the impact of reduced services on carers and their families are closely monitored in terms of carers’ health and well-being, ability to care, in order to avoid burn-out. Support must be reinstated and restored as soon as possible.
- Raise the level of Carer’s Allowance.
- Ensure testing is increased and delivered quickly, including testing for unpaid carers.
- Ensure that local authorities have sufficient resources to carry out contingency planning with carers. Local government and local partners need to find a way to support carers in delivering this. This must also go hand in hand with effective risk mapping.
- Continue to place a high priority on guidance, information and advice for carers, that adapts to their needs.
- Increase the delivery of PPE to social care and ensure unpaid carers are also included where they are caring for those who are most vulnerable.
- Ensure systems are in place for carers to provide access to food and reduce the challenges carers face in getting food.
- Ensure that if this crisis continues, those unable to work because of caring are continued to be supported to retain their jobs for as long as possible, as well as ongoing flexibility for carers to continue to juggle work and care.
- Increase investment in mental health and wellbeing support for carers.
- Continue to ensure that there are creative ways of supporting carers, through technology, through local communities and with the continuation of key support.
- Ensure that all national guidance aimed at service delivery that suggests carers take on more responsibilities also consider the risks to carers.
- Ensure that there is sufficient investment in end of life care, death and bereavement services