THE reality OF BEING AN unpaid CARER

The pandemic has significantly increased the

workload of the world’s unpaid carers, people who

night and day look after elderly, disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends, often with no respite at all. In September 2020, an online survey of 5,904 carers for Carers UK (one of four charities supported by

The Telegraph’s 2020 Christmas appeal) showed

that 81 per cent of respondents were providing more care, often because local services had closed and/or the needs of their

relative or friend had become more profound over time. Unsurprisingly, many reported that their physical

and mental health was suffering. Some 74 per cent said they were exhausted and 44 per cent that they

were close to breaking point, while two thirds said they had experienced no

time off at all. “Calls to our helpline have quadrupled over the past year,” says Helen Walker, the charity’s chief executive. “The pressure on unpaid

carers is intolerable. Lockdowns and the need to shield to protect those they

love have stripped away support networks, leaving many people feeling isolated – carers are seven times more likely to feel lonely than those who have no caring responsibilities.” Covid-19 has also widened the always-present gender care gap: figures released by Carers UK in 2019 indicate that 58 per cent of carers are

women. Leaving disproportionality aside, the charity calculates that in the

first eight months of the pandemic, unpaid carers in

the UK (estimated at 9.1 million at the beginning of last year, and currently sitting at around 13.6 million when those who are doing

weekly shops for neighbours etc are included) provided £135 billion worth of services. That’s a saving to the state of £530 million

per day.