STATE OF CARING REPORT 2017
Juggling work and care
Three million people , 1 in 9 of the workforce , combine caring for a loved one with paid work . vi However , the significant demands of caring mean that many are forced to give up work altogether , due to a lack of rights , flexibility and high quality care services at home . Carers need to be supported so that they are able to juggle work and care and to enable them to return to work if they wish .
A third ( 37 %) of carers responding to the survey reported currently being in paid work . As many as a quarter ( 25 %) of those providing care for over 50 hours a week reported being in paid work .
Responses illustrate how caring takes a toll on people ’ s employment opportunities , including career development , promotions and pay rises , as well as impacting upon carers ’ ability to work at all . And as many as 4 out of 10 carers ( 43 %) said they had given up work completely to care , with 13 % reporting that they had retired early to care .
1 in 5 of all carers ( 21 %) said they had reduced their working hours to care . Nearly half of working carers ( 46 %) said that they work the same hours but that their job is negatively affected by caring through tiredness , lateness and stress . 14 % of all carers reported having had to take a less qualified job or have turned down promotion to fit around their caring responsibilities .
Having to work at the same time as providing care has a significant effect on people ’ s health . Carers in paid work were more likely to have suffered mental ill health as a result of caring than some other groups , including stress and anxiety , with over 7 in 10 carers in paid employment ( 72 %) reporting this . Over half
( 55 %) said their physical health has worsened as a result of caring . Two thirds ( 67 %) said they found it difficult to get a good night ’ s sleep , and half said they have reduced the amount of exercise they take ( 56 %) and found it difficult to maintain a balanced diet ( 47 %).
Carers in paid work are also the group for whom it is least likely that their GP knows they are a carer , with a quarter ( 25 %) of those in paid work reporting this . This suggests opportunities for them to be better supported in their caring role and to help them look after their own health and wellbeing are being missed .
Of those who reported having a carer ’ s assessment this year , responses suggest that the majority of carers in paid work are not being given the support they need by the local authority to help them juggle care with work . Over 7 in 10 carers ( 73 %) said the need to combine paid work and caring was either not properly considered in their carer ’ s assessment or in the support they received , or that this received some but insufficient consideration .
Over 7 in 10 carers
73 %
said the need to combine paid work and caring was either not properly considered in their carer ’ s assessment or in the support they received , or that this received some but insufficient consideration
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