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Labour fails those who care
February 13, 2003 12:00 AM
The Government has failed to deliver on its promise of a fund to support carers, Liberal Democrats said today as Census 2001 figures showed that in England and Wales:
• There are 5.2 million unpaid carers in the UK, equivalent to 10% of the population.
• There are over 1 million carers who work over 50 hours per week for no pay at all.
• There is a north-south divide, with the north having more long-term ill and more unpaid carers than the south.
Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Older People said:
"Carers are the foundation on which the whole care system stands. Without them, the whole system would face collapse and many local voluntary organisations would struggle.
"Labour made a manifesto commitment to create a fund to support carers, yet they have failed to deliver on this promise.
"With more and more councils cutting care services for people who have a paid 'carer', the burden is falling even more heavily on families. Many people have to give up full-time work in order to care for friends or relatives. This can force them closer to the poverty line.
"Carers are all too often under valued, overlooked and overloaded. Unless that changes, the Government will lose their goodwill and entire communities will lose out."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
• The Census 2001 figures can be found at :-
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/health0203.pdf
• Labour made a manifesto commitment to create a fund to support the 6.8million adult carers, yet Ministers have failed to deliver on this promise.
• A survey of social services departments by the LGA found that 1 in 4 Councils did not have the resources to implement the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000. The estimated shortfall was put at £40 million
• Labour Manifesto 2001, Section 3 A Modern Welfare State, Page 28-29:
"The Carers and Disabled Children's Act gives carers a right to an independent assessment of their needs. We will examine the development of a fund to help local authorities produce tailored care packages to back up the results of these assessments."
• http://www.labour.org.uk/lp/new/labour/docs/MANIFESTOCONTENTS/ENG2-WWW.PDF
• A survey carried out last year by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers suggested one in four carers in the UK had suffered health problems. The report suggested a lack of help - two out of three receive no support at all - was having a significant effect on their own health.
• Two million carers in the UK were over 60 and a Help the Aged report found that more than half of older carers suffered a long standing illness or disability.
• A separate study by the charity Carers UK indicated that by 2037, an extra 3.5m carers will be needed to cope with an estimated 3m increase in people over the age of 75.
• Liberal Democrats would seek to encourage more flexibility in the provision of respite care, and a greater awareness of the needs of carers including training programmes for health and social care staff.
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