Carers Wales are campaignig for unpaid carers to receive the support and respite that they are entitled too. Please see their message below.

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Carers UK research (attached) released for Carers Rights Day today, estimates that the care provided by people looking after someone who has a physical or mental illness, is older or has a disability during the pandemic stands at £8.4 billion in Wales so far, after just eight months. That equates to £33million per day.

Furthermore, Carers Rights Day polling for Carers Wales found that 91% of adults in Wales think unpaid carers have been important during the COVID-19 pandemic, in supporting family or friends with disability or illness. However, despite the public’s appreciation of the vital contribution unpaid carers, only 7% knew that unpaid carers have legal rights.

We are warning that people caring round the clock are going to break down after months of caring without respite and the support they need.

Carers Wales is calling on Welsh Government to commit to:

• A large scale public, awareness raising campaign to increase awareness of unpaid carers and their legal rights to information, advice and support contained in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act
• Systematic identification of carers by health and social care professionals, and the introduction of a new duty on the NHS to identify carers and promote their health and wellbeing
• Increased levels of financial support to carers services at the local level

Our research shows that society overwhelmingly values the critical role unpaid carers have had during the pandemic, however the lack of core funding and general knowledge around carers’ rights have left many unpaid carers feeling overlooked and unrewarded. Carers have been the unrecognised third pillar of health and social care during this pandemic. If their contribution had to be replaced by state funded statutory services, it would cost a staggering £33 million every single day. This contribution is not sustainable, with many carers saying they are exhausted. It is crucial that carers are identified quicker and have better information and mainstream funded support to ensure they are able to continue to care safely and are also supported to look after their own health and well-being.

Also this morning the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Julie Morgan MS launched our Learning for Living online training for carers – please see here - https://www.carersuk.org/wales/help-and-advice/learning-for-living  This training is also available in the Welsh Language - https://www.carersuk.org/wales/help-and-advice/dysgu-ar-gyfer-byw

And finally, we have today launched our new Self Advocacy Guide and toolkit for unpaid carers - https://www.carersuk.org/wales/help-and-advice/self-advocacy-toolkit-wales

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