Breaks or breakdown: Carers Week report

Caring for a family member, friend, or neighbour can be challenging and often comes at significant personal cost. Without sufficient support or meaningful breaks, it can take its toll on carers’ emotional and physical health, their ability to work, and can have a knock-on effect on their long-term finances.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on carers’ ability to access breaks. Not only are the majority of carers (81%) providing more care than before the pandemic, their responsibility has grown as the support they used to rely on has reduced.

This research shows the impact of reduced support from both services and family and friends has had on carers’ health and wellbeing. It demonstrates that without the right interventions there could be more carer breakdown and why the UK Government should increase funding for carers’ breaks, so all carers providing significant hours of care have access to a meaningful break