Nearly three-fifths of unpaid carers in the South East struggling to meet health and wellbeing needs

49 per cent of these carers said that they were “able to meet the health and wellbeing needs of their loved ones, but not [their] own.” A further 9 per cent responded that they could not meet the needs of either themselves or their loved ones.

The survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of GoodOaks Homecare’s You Are Not Alone campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the support options available to unpaid carers across England.

At 58 per cent, the percentage of unpaid carers in the South East who felt unable to meet their own health and wellbeing needs is slightly above England’s average, which stood at 56 per cent.

The survey also found that more than two-thirds of carers in the South East had felt ‘stressed’ in the week before the polling – more than 25 per cent higher than the general public, when compared with YouGov’s weekly mood tracker. Unpaid carers in the region were also more than twice as likely to have felt lonely as the public in the same period. Just 30 per cent said they had felt “happy” in the week prior to the polling.

The findings appear to corroborate the research conducted last year by Carers UK and six other charities which found that 31 per cent, representing eight million people, who have provided unpaid care have reported a decline in their health and wellbeing. 

Carer’s Leave Act a mystery to many  

The publication of the polling in the report, Caring Unseen, which uncovers carers wellbeing in several regions across England alongside other perspectives, coincides with the recent implementation of the Carer’s Leave Act, which will give unpaid carers a statutory right to a week’s unpaid leave to give or arrange care for a dependant.   

The bill was sponsored last year by Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, who said the legislation would “allow carers to take time off work to manage caring responsibility... [and] will provide many people with the flexibility they need.”   

Despite promising parliamentary progress, the polling identified a significant lack of awareness among unpaid carers in the South East of the Carer’s Leave Act itself. Just 10 per cent of those polled in the region said that they had a “good understanding” of the Act – the lowest of all care support options offered in the questioning, which included the Carer’s Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Attendance Allowance, and Carer’s Credit, among others, and also below the average of all regions polled.

Targeted questioning yielded similar findings: just five per cent described themselves as “very aware”, and a further 20 per cent as “somewhat aware” of the Carer’s Leave Act provisions. More than three-fifths (61 per cent) of unpaid carers polled described themselves as “unaware” (either very or somewhat) of the Act’s stipulations. Those in the South East were significantly more ‘unaware’ than the average of all regions, which stood at 51 per cent.

Interestingly, as age increased, awareness declined significantly. Net awareness of the Act’s provisions fell from 47 per cent among 18-24-year-olds to just 12 per cent for those over 65.

 Political Outlook Stark for Government  

When asked to assess how effectively they thought the government supported unpaid carers, the results were damning. An overwhelming majority (64 per cent) believed that the government was “ineffectively’ supporting those providing care for their loved ones. This figure included 36 per cent of carers polled in the South East who deemed the government ‘very’ ineffective. Just two per cent thought the government was supporting unpaid carers “very effectively”.   

Asked which political party they believed would provide the best support for unpaid carers, just 13 per cent of respondents opted for the Conservatives. The Labour Party received far beyond the highest share of all parties, at 34 per cent. The Liberal Democrats, despite recent assurances that care would be placed at the heart of their policy agenda, were selected by just six per cent of respondents, and Reform UK followed with five per cent. 37 per cent of those polled selected no political party.  

The report nonetheless found a particular – and significant - malleability in the voting intention of unpaid carers. Asked about the likelihood of changing their “vote in favour of a political party that introduced further measures to support unpaid carers,” 61 per cent of respondents said they would be “likely” to do so – either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’. Just ten per cent described themselves as “unlikely” to do so.  

Optimism towards the future low  

Given the stark reality of the situation for many carers, as per the polling, it is alarming that optimism towards the future also appears lacking.

70 per cent of those polled anticipated their ability to care for their loved ones would stay the same or worsen in the coming 18-24 months.   

Just one quarter predicted that their ability to provide care for loved ones would improve – a figure somewhat skewed by unpaid carers in younger age cohorts. Across England, carers aged 65 and over were considerably less optimistic: just 16 per cent anticipated their ability to provide care would improve. In comparison, 34 per cent expected it to worsen, and 45 per cent predicted no change.  

Perceptions about the sustainability of care provision also varied widely, particularly by age group. Less than half of unpaid carers in the South East believed their care provision was sustainable, while nearly one-third (31 per cent) believed it was unsustainable. In most age groups of overall respondents, those who perceived their care as sustainable outweighed those who responded the opposite – apart from among 55-64-year-olds. In this age range, 31 per cent perceived their care as sustainable, 33 per cent said it was not.  

Ben Ashton, Founder of the You Are Not Alone campaign, and Chief Executive of GoodOaks Homecare, who commissioned the poll, said:  

“Our You Are Not Alone campaign has shed light on the immense challenges faced by those dedicating their lives to care for others, often at great personal cost.   

“This should serve as a wake-up call to our nation’s leaders. The Carer’s Leave Act is a step forward, but our research underscores a significant gap in awareness and support.   

“It is imperative that we recognise and act upon the urgent necessity to better support our unpaid carers. They are the backbone of our care system. Our commitment to those who provide care must match the depth of their commitment to others.” 

In a foreword to the report, Damian Green MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adult Social Care, said:  “Too often the debate on social care is concentrated entirely on the part of the sector in which care is paid for. This part of the sector has problems enough, but ignoring the issues affecting unpaid carers only compounds the difficulties of the sector. 

“This report is a reminder to policy makers that the millions of unpaid carers deserve not just recognition but practical help to make their lives more comfortable.”