Unpaid carers 'It's been tough but politicians don't offer much'

Hilary Osborne looks at the struggle for family members who look after relatives, while Minreet Kaur writes about her own experience

- Minreet Kaur

People who look after family members free of charge are taking a huge hit to their finances that could continue into their retirement as they find themselves unable to balance paid work with caring commitments.

Recent analysis of official figures by financial firm Just Retirement found seven in 10 people who were receiving carer's allowance were not in paid work, and missing out on both earnings and private pension contributions.

And last year, research by the charity Carers UK found that 40% of those providing high levels of care for an ill, elderly or disabled relative or friend, had left their employment, while 22% had cut their working hours.

"Too often for unpaid carers in work, the immense stresses and challenges of the role, with little support, can mean having to reduce working hours, or come out of the workplace altogether," says Helen Walker, the chief executive of Carers UK. "This can have a significant impact on household finances, exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis."

With just days to go until the election, the party that looks most likely to take power has said very little about what it would do to help the UK's army of unpaid carers.

The Labour manifesto does not include a single mention of the word "carer". The Conservative manifesto does include a few brief mentions.

It is only the Liberal Democrats who have put forward substantial proposals for better support.

Carer's allowance is now £81.90 a week and available to people who provide at least 35 hours a week of care to a disabled person.

Carers UK has been doing an annual survey for several years, and each time it asks people about the impact of their role on their finances. Last year it found 75% of those receiving carer's allowance were struggling with cost-ofliving pressures, with almost half reporting cutting back on essentials including food and heating.