New Report from Carers UK
Here is some data
This is a 12 per cent increase since Carers UK and YouGov polled the public in 2013.
The report numbers are sobering reading.
- 1 in 7 of the UK workforce are caring for a loved one
- 600 people having to leave work every week to care for relatives
- 6 million have quit their job to care
'Juggling work and unpaid care'
The report ‘Juggling work and unpaid care’ is interesting as, rather than pushing the government to provide more support, it focuses on employees doing more for their workers who are also carers. Highlighting the cost of having to recruit and re-train new employees, it makes a strong case for the potential benefits of employees offering more flexible working conditions and offering paid leave to carers.
The report highlights Employers for Carers. This is a group of more than 115 employers committed to supporting carers in the workplace and supported by Carers UK. This year is its 10th anniversary as a formal forum and launches Carer Confident, the first UK-wide employer benchmarking scheme of its kind.
Though no replacement for state services, we welcome the positive recommendations for employees. Encouraging them to work with the carers in their organisations can only lead to a better understanding of the realities faced by the millions of people who provide unpaid care for a disabled, seriously-ill or older loved one in the UK save, saving us all £132 billion a year.
Useful sources of information if you are a Carer:
If you are a carer within Hertfordshire, have you spoken to:
Both are organisations who provide advice, information and support to unpaid carers, and can make a real difference to a person’s life.
'Juggling work and unpaid care’
Read the research report from Carers UK.
