Carers 'cutting back on food' to make ends meet - survey » Local Government » 24dash.com

Half of all carers are cutting back on food to make ends meet, according to research published today by Carers UK.

The study reveals 52% of carers are making cut backs on food compared to 19% in 2007.

Almost three quarters (74%) are struggling to pay utility bills, up from 33% last year, with 65% in fuel poverty (paying more than 10% of their income on fuel bills).

Nine in 10 respondents (86%) said their financial position was worse than 12 months ago and 32% of those paying a rent or mortgage say they cannot afford to pay it.

Some 78% of the 1,700 carers polled by the charity cannot afford essential repairs to the  home - a situation less than one third found themselves in last year.

Because of high petrol costs, a quarter said they were cutting down on essential journeys such as food shopping or visiting the doctor.

More than half of carers questioned are now in debt as a result of caring, compared to a third last year. Many carers said they were resorting to borrowing, using bank overdrafts (33%), credit cards (35%) and loans (15%). Nearly one third of those owing money already had more than £10,000 worth of debt.

Carers UK said carers may face higher bills than the rest of the population (including extra heating and transport costs) and many do not get support from social services, meaning that they have to pay for care themselves.

Nearly two thirds said they were spending their own income or savings to pay for care for the person they look after (up from 35% in 2007).

Imelda Redmond, Carers UK chief executive, said: "Rising costs and the economic downturn are turning what is already a bad situation for carers into a personal financial crisis.

"Many struggle - day in, day out - to provide care for someone they love who is disabled or ill and have found they have no choice but to give up work in order to care.

"While the physical and mental demands of caring often make carers' own health worse, the appallingly low level of Carer's Allowance, worth only
£50.55 a week, is only making life even harder. Carers are being stretched to the limit by the current economic situation.

"Carers have higher costs than everyone else and yet they have fewer opportunities to increase their income through employment, making it even harder to manage financially when rising prices bite.

"The irony of this appalling situation is that our economy and our communities depend heavily on the care provided by carers - worth a staggering £87 billion a year.

"We must support them more and not force them into financial hardship as a result of their caring role.

"The Government recently promised a review of carers' benefits and has pledged that by 2018 carers will not suffer financial hardship as a result of caring.

"Our survey today shows that they are suffering right now and we need immediate action right now to stop carers from sliding even further into poverty.

"We're also urging carers to get in touch with Carers UK to find out about their entitlements so they get every penny they're entitled to in order to help them make ends meet.

"There has never been a more important time to find out what financial help you might be entitled to."

To mark the publication of the survey and the ninth annual Carers Rights Day on Friday, carers from across the UK are today travelling to Parliament to lobby MPs and demand more help from the Government.

Carers UK has also produced a Carers Rights Guide, to coincide with Carers Rights Day. The focus of this year's day is Making the Most of Your Money and more than 1,000 groups around the country will be holding events to make sure that carers are getting the supports and benefits that they deserve.

To download the guide visit www.carersuk.org or call CarersLine, which is able to offer advice on any caring situation, on 0808 808 7777.