10 Things You Didn't Know About Carers in Wales
There are more than 350,000 carers in Wales who provide 96% of all community care across the country.
Download our latest Information Sheet - 13 The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010
These are quite staggering figures when you take into account that then nation's population is only just over 3million meaning more than 10% of us are carers.
As a result, we thought it would be interesting - with the help of figures provided by Carers Wales - to outline a few of the other facts about the caring industry across Wales and the UK:
- 1 in 8 of adults are carers
- Every year 2.3 million people become carers
- Carers save the Wales economy £7.72 billion per year
- Nearly 3 million people in the UK juggle caring with holding down a job
- The main carers' benefit is worth just £55.55 for a minimum of 35 hours - £1.58 per hour
- 90,000 people in Wales provide over 50 hours of care per week
- People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled
- Over 1 million people in the UK care for more than one person
- 58% of carers are women and 42% are men
- By 2037 the number of carers in the UK will have increased to 9 million
Last week we published our latest and 13th Information Sheet entitled The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010 which outlines the key objectives of new Welsh legislation for carers within Wales.
The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010 requires Local Health Boards, Velindre NHS Trust and the Wales Ambulance Trust to draw up a strategy to ensure unpaid family carers receive essential information and are consulted about the care of the people they look after.
The draft strategies have been submitted to Welsh Government and are awaiting approval for implementation.
If you have any questions about Information Sheet 13 or trouble viewing or downloading it please contact our Project Manager Lesley Hills via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.
