A charity representing Scotland’s unpaid carers says the cost of living crisis is putting unsustainable financial pressure on people who are already struggling to meet the costs of looking after their loved ones.

Carers Scotland says Scottish responses to a UK-wide survey of unpaid carers shows deepening concerns that they will not be able to meet the rising costs of heating their homes and providing appropriate food.

One unpaid carer told the researchers:

“I am anxious and scared of what our living costs will be in the coming months. I’m unable to sleep and worried about surviving.”

The survey is published today as Carers Scotland launches its Cost of Living campaign, which calls on the Scottish government to increase the level of all devolved benefits in line with current inflation predictions – 7.25% rather than the 3.1% promised for next month.

The campaign also calls for Scottish ministers to make a further double Carers Allowance Supplement payment this year as they did during the last two years of the pandemic – and for the UK government to ensure that the Warm Home Discount scheme, which gives people a one-off cut in their electricity bill, includes all carers.

Two thirds of respondents said they were already cutting back on heating and nearly one in five (17%) reported having already fallen into arrears with their energy bills.

Nearly nine in ten (87%) feared that they would not be able to keep their homes to a safe level in the coming months – while 41% believed they might have to use a food bank.

The charity says bills are often higher for carers than others to ensure that someone who is unwell or frail is kept warm, to prevent their condition deteriorating. In addition, there are often have higher food bills because of particular nutritional requirements of people being cared for, while carers often cannot use public transport and have to make their own, costlier arrangements to get to medical appointments.

One person responded to the survey saying:

“Our son relies on life-saving equipment which must be constant and available at all times – a hospital pressure mattress, an oxygen nebuliser, suction hoist, air-conditioning, heating and so on.”

Another said:

“Mum is bedbound with advanced Parkinson’s so she needs the house to be quite warm, especially when she’s getting bed bathed etc – but we can’t afford to keep the heating turned up high.”

The Director of Carers Scotland, Richard Meade, says unprecedented levels of stress and financial worries are being piled on unpaid carers – more than half of whom say they can’t manage their monthly expenses:

“Carers are propping up our health and care system at a huge cost to their own personal health, finances and ability to stay in work.

“Now the picture is even bleaker, with increasing costs forcing them to cut back on food, on heat, and more than ever are worried that they will be pushed into unsustainable debt.

“There is an urgent need for targeted support for unpaid carers now. Thousands more are being pushed into poverty, and many cares already in poverty will struggle and face even greater financial hardship.  That will have a lasting impact on their finances and quality of life.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said:

“The Scottish government is committed to supporting unpaid carers in recognition of their vital role.

"Our Carer's Allowance Supplement means that, since 2018, carers have received over £460 a year more in Scotland than carers in rest of the UK. Over the past two years we have invested a further £40 million to provide two extra payments to support carers with the impacts of the pandemic.

“Devolved benefits will be uprated from April, including doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20, increasing Child Winter Heating Assistance by 5%, and the level of Best Start Foods has already increased by more than inflation last year.

“We continue to listen to and work with carers, and carers organisations, and to consider what more we can do to support unpaid carers with the resources and powers available to us.”  

Carers UK surveyed 3,300 unpaid carers, 249 of whom were in Scotland.

 

Read more: Views sought on new carer benefit; Column: Carers still not being cared for; Towards an inclusive New Normal.

 

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