Dramatic increase in carer poverty

• number of carers struggling to make ends meet rises dramatically since 2007
• three quarters in fuel poverty; more than half in debt; over half cutting back on essentials like food or heating to make ends meet.

Alarming new statistics released today (Thursday 4th December 2008) by the campaigning organisation Carers Scotland, reveal that Scotland’s 660,000 unpaid carers  are under even more pressure as living costs rise and the economic crisis affects ever more families.  Nine in ten (88%) say their financial position is worse than 12 months ago. Yet they provide vital support, unpaid, for their elderly, sick or disabled relatives, making a contribution worth £7.6 billion a year to the Scottish economy.

Half of all carers are cutting back on food just to make ends meet.  34% of those paying a rent or mortgage say they cannot afford to pay it, more than 3 times the rate in 2007 (34% in 2008, 10% in 2007).  Three quarters (79%) are struggling to pay utility bills – up from 32% last year, with 73% in fuel poverty (paying more than 10% of their income on fuel bills). 79% cannot afford essential repairs to the home – a situation less than one third found themselves in last year.   Because of high petrol costs, one quarter were cutting down on essential journeys, for example, to go food shopping or visit the doctor.
 
The findings of the new poll of 1700 carers throughout the UK, being announced today by Carers Scotland and Carers UK, reveal just how hard carers have been hit by rising living costs and the economic downturn in the last year.

Perhaps most worrying is that over half of carers questioned are now in debt as a result of caring, compared to a third last year.  In struggling to make ends meet, many carers were resorting to borrowing, using bank overdrafts (31%), credit cards (20%) and loans (15%).   Over a third of those owing money already had over £10,000 worth of debt.

Carers can face higher bills than the rest of the population (including extra heating and transport costs) and many do not get support from social services, meaning that they have to pay for care themselves. Nearly 70% are spending their own income or savings to pay for care for the person they look after (up from 35% in 2007).  Almost 50% have cut back on caring support services or supplies (like extra respite care, equipment or supplies) because they cannot afford them.  The majority of respondents were also in receipt of benefits, severely affecting their ability to make repayments.

Most of the respondents care for more than 50 hours per week, some of the 110,000 carers in Scotland  who provide full time care.   Few of these carers are able to work, meaning they are reliant on benefits, which have not kept pace with the spiralling costs of food and fuel.

Patrick Begley, Director, comments:
 “Rising costs and the economic downturn are turning what is already a bad situation for carers into a personal financial crisis.  Many struggle day in day out to provide care for someone whom they love who is disabled or ill, and have found they have no choice but to give up work in order to care.   Whilst the physical and mental demands of caring often make carers’ own health worse, the appallingly low level of Carer’s Allowance, worth only £50.55 per week, is only making life even harder.  Carers are being stretched to the limit by the current economic situation.

“Carers have higher costs than everyone else and yet they have fewer opportunities to increase their income through employment, making it even harder to manage financially when rising prices bite.

“The irony of this appalling situation is that our economy and our communities depend heavily on the care provided by carers - worth a staggering £7.6 billion a year.  We must support them more and not force them into financial hardship as a result of their caring role.  The UK Government recently promised a review of carers’ benefits and have pledged that by 2018 that carers will not suffer financial hardship as a result of caring.   Our survey today shows that they are suffering right now and we need immediate action to stop carers from sliding into even further into poverty.”

“We’re also urging carers to get in touch with Carers Scotland to find out about their entitlements so they get every penny they’re entitled to in order to help them make ends meet.   There has never been a more important time to find out what financial help you might be entitled to.”

Carers Scotland has produced a Carers Rights Guide, to coincide with the ninth annual Carers Rights Day, (Friday 5th December 2008) set up to help raise awareness of the needs of carers, increase take up of benefits and provide clear information to make sure carers know their rights. The focus of this year’s day is Making the Most of Your Money.  Over 1,000 groups across the UK will be holding events to make sure that carers are getting the supports and benefits that they deserve.

To coincide with Carers Rights Day, Carers Scotland has produced ‘Looking After Someone – a guide to carers’ rights and benefits for all carers’, available here or by calling CarersLine which is able to offer advice on any caring situation, on 0808 808 7777.

On the eve of Carers Rights Day (Thursday 4th December), carers from across the UK will travel to Parliament to lobby MPs, demanding a better deal from Government.

Five key facts about carers

1. Carers’ unpaid contribution is worth £7.6 billion per year, an average of £16,000 per carer
2. The main carer’s benefit, Carers Allowance, is £50.55 for a minimum of 35 hours – the equivalent to £1.44 an hour (just a quarter of the minimum wage of £5.73 per hour).
3. 3 in 5 people will be affected by caring responsibilities at some point in their lives
4. There are 660,000 carers in Scotland
5. Every year over 178,000  people become carers

- ENDS -

For further information (including further statistics) or to request an interview with a spokesperson or a case study, please contact:

• Fiona Collie, Policy & Parliamentary Affairs Manager on 0141 221 9141 or email fiona.collie@carerscotland.org
• Patrick Begley, Director on 0141 221 9141 or email pat.begley@carerscotland.org 
• Caroline Beswick or Deborah Muir 020 8786 3860 or email caroline.beswick@trinitypr.co.uk

References:
1. 1,707 carers across the UK responded to the Cost of Caring research conducted by Carers Scotland and Carers UK between September and October 2008. 
2. The full research report can be downloaded here.   A short summary report of the impact on carers in Scotland is available here.