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UK State of Caring Report finds unpaid carers struggling to afford living costs
Created: 08/11/2024
News/Events Category: Health and Social Care
New statistics from the Carers UK State of Caring Survey 2024 show a concerning trend as carers increasingly take drastic measures to cope with their financial situation.
Unpaid carers are finding it increasingly difficult to afford day-to-day living costs, with the worry and anxiety of this further affecting their mental health and wellbeing.
Of the 12,500 people answering this year's survey, 61% said they were worried about living costs and managing in the future. Over a third (35%) said they don't feel confident about keeping up with costs over the next 12 months.
A quarter of carers (27%) are struggling to make ends meet and 28% of carers are cutting back on essentials like food and heating – an increase from 25% in 2022. For those in receipt of social security benefits, financial hardship is even more stark, with 42% of carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance struggling to make ends meet.
Carers struggling to make ends meet are making difficult choices, such as reducing meal sizes or skipping meals, and some are turning to unsustainable solutions to manage finances. 28% of carers said they have had to use credit cards, 22% have used their overdraft and 14% of carers are in debt because of caring.
There are 5.8 million unpaid carers across the UK looking after an elderly, disabled or seriously ill friend or family member. Unpaid carers are more at risk of financial hardship in comparison to those who do not provide care and often face additional bills associated with their caring role. New analysis published last month by Carers UK found that 1.2 million unpaid carers were in poverty.
This year’s survey also found that most carers are now cutting back on social connections – which often provide a vital lifeline helping people to balance caring responsibilities with their own wellbeing.
68% of survey respondents have cut back on hobbies and leisure activities in a bid to save money for essentials and 60% have reduced time spent seeing family and friends – likely to exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation amongst carers.
For many, financial worries are having a further impact on wellbeing. Over half of carers (51%) said that this is having a negative impact on their mental health, and 61% feel stressed or anxious when they think about their financial situation. This figure increased to 91% for carers who are struggling to make ends meet.
Figures from the survey also found that the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is preventing many carers in paid employment from increasing their income. 62% of those claiming Carer’s Allowance said they had been unable to work more hours of take on higher paid work. 20% had an overpayment of Carer’s Allowance and 41% said that they left their paid employment because of the earnings limit.
Click here to read the report.
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