State of Caring Carers UK State of Caring 2017 Report | Page 5

STATE OF CARING REPORT 2017
The value of
unpaid care
carers give
in the UK
The value
of health
spending
in the UK
Three quarters
73 %
£132 bn £134 bn
Lack of social care funding is reflected in the failure of
local authorities to consistently assess carers and put in
place support. In England and Wales new legal duties
to support carers have still yet to become a practical
reality for carers. Whilst in Northern Ireland there is
currently a power but no legal duty on Health and Social
Care Trusts to provide services outlined in Assessments.
of carers responding to this year’s
survey feel that their contribution
is not understood or valued by the
Government.
The importance of flexible working to retain older
workers and the need for support for people to enter or
return to the workforce after time spent away has been
consistently identified in Government strategies. Yet, the
difficulty of remaining in work alongside providing care
comes across strongly again in the 2017 survey.
It’s clear that the way we value and support the
contribution of carers is at the heart of addressing some
of the current major challenges our society is facing. It is
also of even more fundamental importance; caring and
being cared for is part of being human and something
which almost everyone will experience at some point
in their lives. An action plan for supporting people well
when they take on a caring role must be at the heart
of the UK Government’s agenda and the priorities of
national, regional and local government across the UK.
We are a caring society, and we should ensure that
there is care for the carers.
The absence of system incentives in the NHS and the
repeal of the Carers Measure in Wales mean that the
mechanisms to support carers consistently through
primary care are not in place.
Evidence from carers on the financial impact of
caring shows that far from having their contribution
appropriately recognised by the social care and
social security system, people providing unpaid care
are struggling to make ends meet and, unable to
protect their future financial security, are being made
vulnerable to poverty and financial hardship both in the
short and long-term.
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