We need a cross-party commitment to a new national carers strategy
Across the country, carers both paid and unpaid provide life-changing support to those who most need it. The work is rewarding, but at the same time can be exceptionally challenging and complex, especially where the care is intimate, personal, physical or relentless.
To undertake this kind of work voluntarily, as an unpaid carer, demonstrates an admirable dedication and effort to the loved-ones being cared for. We must recognise, however, that millions of unpaid carers do not choose to take on caring responsibilities. Instead, they do so because they have a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, mental health, or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.
The challenges on carers are immense. Carers report exhaustion, burn out, deterioration of physical health, anxiety, financial instability, and loneliness. Considering those challenges, it is no surprise that Carers UK estimates 600 people leave employment every day due to a lack of support in juggling work and care commitments - a situation made immeasurably harder in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
As ever, there is an equality aspect to this: as all too often this caring burden falls upon women. The majority, around 60% of unpaid carers are women. This has repercussions not only in care but for the labour market too. Female carers are substantially more likely to do only part-time work, or not be in any employment at all, than their male counterparts.
As a first step to addressing the challenges faced by unpaid carers, as well as the lifeline they represent for those who need them, in May last year the Carers Leave Act received Royal Assent. This is landmark legislation, which allows a week of unpaid leave for anyone with caring duty towards a dependent with a long term care need. The leave entitlement created by the Act is a “day one right”, and is covered by employment protection, namely protection from dismissal or detriment as a result of having taken Carer’s Leave.
The importance of this legitimate right to a week’s leave cannot be understated. It gives unpaid carers the confidence to go into work knowing that they will not be penalised should an unforeseen emergency occur - especially as the leave can be taken in half-day intervals. It represents a win-win for Government and carers. The Government is rightly concerned about the rising numbers of those not economically active, and unpaid care is equivalent to a second NHS in England and Wales, which in 2020/21 received an estimated £164 billion in funding - money that would otherwise come from taxpayers. The Carers Leave Act goes a little way to improving things on both those fronts.
Of course, more can always be done. Many needs most cited by carers, such as finance, mental health, and, ultimately, caring duty support, are still not being adequately met. It should concern all of us that more than half of carers say that they are extremely worried about managing their monthly costs, whilst many have experienced delays in accessing healthcare appointments and services. One in five carers says that their physical health is bad or very bad, 30% suffer from poor mental health and over a quarter say that they often or always feel lonely. Carers continue to be extremely concerned and worried about the future. This situation is not tenable.
So ahead of the General Election expected to take place later this year, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Carers (which I Chair) is calling on all parties to commit to developing a new National Carers Strategy that sets a clear and ambitious direction of travel, regarding the need to support carers over the course of the next Parliament.
Backed overwhelmingly by carers and caring bodies, a National Carers Strategy would be the next, important step forward from the Carer’s Action Plan, which I led as Care Minister back in 2018. It would demonstrate most that carers’ needs are being understood and responded to by all parties and at the highest level of Government. A National Carers Strategy would be one way to say to our 5.7 million UK carers “we value you and your voices are being heard.”
Dame Caroline Dinenage is the Conservative MP for Gosport. She is former care minister and the current chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Carers. Caroline also chairs the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
