I wanted to let you know that Carers Wales has published findings from this year’s State of Caring survey, which had over 1100 responses from unpaid carers across Wales.

We have launched the following two reports, both of which contain stark findings:

• Health and wellbeing: https://www.carersuk.org/reports/state-of-caring-2023-the-impact-of-caring-on-health-in-wales/
• Finances: https://www.carersuk.org/reports/state-of-caring-in-wales-the-impact-of-caring-on-finances-in-wales/

We worked with Sioned Williams MS on a debate in the Senedd Chamber on Wednesday evening to coincide with the launch of our finances report. We briefed her and other Senedd members in the lead up to the debate. Here is the Video Link/Transcript Link

Here are some key statistics from our reports:

• 85% of carers say they feel stressed or anxious
• 51% say they feel depressed, 49% said they feel lonely
• 36% of carers with poor mental health had experienced thoughts related to self-harm or suicide
• 76% of carers are worried about being unable to provide care in future
• 58% of carers said they need more support to be able to look after their own health and wellbeing
• 50% of carers have put off health treatment because of their caring role
• 36% of carers waiting for hospital treatment or assessment for themselves have been waiting for over a year. This is 6% higher than the UK average
• 23% are cutting back on essentials - food and utilities
• 51% are cutting back on seeing friends and family
• 12% are in arrears with utility companies
• 6% are in arrears on their housing
• 24% are struggling to make ends meet
• 66% say cost of living increases have had a negative impact on their health
• 63% of carers have cut back on leisure activities
• 60% are worried about the impact of caring on their personal finances
• 68% are worried about their ability to plan for the future
• 58% said they need more financial support

We will be launching our next State of Caring report on working carers (those balancing paid employment and unpaid caring responsibilities) in December.

We look forward to seeing those of you who can attend our conference on Monday (160 delegates have booked so far!) The Carers Wales Conference: Finding Solutions Tickets, Mon 13 Nov 2023 at 09:30 | Eventbrite