Unpaid carers who have been bereaved need better support to help them cope with the impact of grief, financial changes and the loss of their role.

A new report from charities Marie Curie, Sue Ryder and think-tank Reform Scotland highlights how help comes to an end for carers after their loved one dies.

As they struggle to cope both with the loss of the person they were caring for and their purpose in life, vital assistance such as benefits, tax credits and peer support also stop.

One carer said: “I have no family left and no friends as I gave everything up to look after both parents.”

An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 carers in Scotland are bereaved every year, with the number expected to be higher over the next two years because of covid-19.

Nearly 400,000 additional people in Scotland are now caring for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives or friends since the pandemic, according to a Carers UK Scotland report.

The report – Life After Death: supporting carers after bereavement – calls for the next Scottish Government to bring forward a number of measures to help bereaved carers.

This includes legislation in the next Parliament to provide a plan to support carers following the end of their caring role.

A new fund should also be set up to support training and education and a support payment to help anyone struggling financially.

Eligibility for Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Allowance supplement should be extended from the current eight weeks after someone’s caring role comes to end to six months, the report says.

It also calls for a national helpline to be set up, particularly targeted at those caring for people with dementia or terminal illness, who are having to deal with “living grief” as their loved one’s condition deteriorates.

Pamela MacKenzie, director of Scotland at Sue Ryder, said challenges faced by carers do not disappear and can even intensify once their loved one dies.

She said: “The practical measures that we are proposing, would make a real difference to people who currently face having their support withdrawn at the same time as they are dealing with the death of a loved one.

"Now is the right time for changes to be made to ensure that bereaved carers are no longer deserted at such a vulnerable time."  

Richard Meade, head of policy and public affairs in Scotland at Marie Curie, added: “Many carers struggle following the death of the person they are caring for, whether that is financially, emotionally or when trying to return to aspects of their former lives, like work.

“Far too often the system fails them and they are left behind. We need this to change.”

Alison Payne, research director at Reform Scotland, said carers were often “unsung” and “unseen” heroes.

“Their sacrifice is absolute, their dedication to their loved one unfaltering,” she said.

“Yet it is the sad reality that life after care has ended can be stressful, uncertain and gloomy. As a country, we are not doing enough to support them.”

 

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