Carers UK today release a report showing that one in five unpaid carers fear they may not be able to cope financially over the next 12 months.

And along with that, carers face increasing strains on their health and wellbeing.

From the report:

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen 81% of carers take on increasing hours of care, often with less or no outside support. This has had a significant and detrimental impact on carers’ health and wellbeing; over two-thirds of carers (69%) reported that their mental health has worsened, and 64% of carers said their physical health has got worse as a result of caring in the
pandemic. Our results confirm that the pandemic is continuing to have a
negative impact on carers’ own health and wellbeing and they are facing
additional health inequalities.

Ed Davey, himself a lifelong carer for parents, grandparents and now his disabled son responded to the report:

With the cost of living spiralling this winter these damning figures show the struggle that many unpaid carers face.

After all the sacrifices carers have made to look after their loved ones during the pandemic, they deserve far more support. Instead, the Government is ignoring them and taking them for granted once again.

The Conservatives’ unfair tax hikes will hit carers on lower wages especially hard at a time they can least afford it.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to stand up for carers by raising Carer’s Allowance by £1,000 a year as well as providing weekly breaks.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social