The theme for Carers Rights Day 2020 is ‘Know Your Rights’
If you are supporting members of the public that are carers you may want to signpost them to Carers UK guide titled looking after someone – information and support for carers.
The guide is divided into the following sections:
- Getting help and support
- Your finances
- Your work.
The guide can be accessed here.
Further details of carers rights day can be found here.
In October 2020 Carers UK published a press release titled “reduced services see unpaid carers pushed to the limit – and desperately worried about winter. “
It highlighted that
- Four in five unpaid carers providing more care for relatives
- 78% reported that the needs of the person they care for have increased during the pandemic
- Two thirds (67%) worried about how they will cope through further lockdowns or local restrictions
- Carers UK calls on Government to help reinstate crucial support services as soon as possible, and implement a New Deal for Carers
The press release can be found here.
In addition you gov published a report during carers week in June 2020 titled “Carers Week 2020 Research Report – The rise in the number of unpaid carers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.”
It was based on polling carried out by YouGov in May 2020 of 4557 people over the age of 18 living in the UK.
The report highlighted that most of these new unpaid carers are drawn from the working population which shines a light on where future carers might come from if we do not invest in sufficient care and support – the losses and costs will clearly be felt by employers and the economy alike – as well as the obvious cost to carers and their families. The report can be found here.
The research may be of interest to local VCSE organisations who are supporting these communities and may assist future bid applications.