Facts about caring

• 3 out of 5 people in the UK will become carers at some time in their lives.
• Over 8 million people are carers (around 13%).
• Every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility – that equals over 2 million people each year.
• 58% of carers are women and 42% are men.
• Over 1 million people care for more than one person.
• Carers save the economy £132 billion per year, an average of £19,336 per carer.
• 5 million people juggle care with work, however the significant demands of caring mean that 2 in 5 carers are forced to give up work altogether.
• Carer’s Allowance is the main carer’s benefit and is £67.25 for a minimum of 35 hours, equivalent to £1.92 per hour – far short of the national minimum wage of £8.72 per hour.
• People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled
• 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring.
• Over 1.3 million people provide over 50 hours of care per week.

Source: Carers UK

The local picture

Bristol

South Gloucestershire

The 2011 census shows that:

• There are 1,384 young carers (children under 16).
• There are 3,916 young adult carers (16 to 24 years old).

Economic contribution made by local carers

• In Bristol and South Gloucestershire alone, it is estimated that carers save health and social care services £1.19 billion every year by providing unpaid care.
• The economic value of the contribution made by carers in Bristol is £755.5 m per year which is the highest in the South West.
• The economic value of the contribution made by carers in South Glos is £439.3 million per year.

Source: Carers UK/Valuing Carers 2015