Carers contribute £7b to Welsh economy yearly

There are 24,000 unpaid Carers (Census 2011) in the county. More than 10,000 of these provide 50 or more hours of care per week.

Carers staggeringly contribute more than £7 billion to the health and social care economy in Wales every year with the average Carer contributing £23,000

Carers in Carmarthenshire contribute at least £500-million pounds worth of care annually.

Many carers have to give up paid work or blossoming careers to care for a family member.

Carers often exist in a poverty trap because the carers allowance benefit equates to less than £2 an hour. So having to give up employment means a huge drop in income and the inability to save towards a pension for later life. There are also added costs that caring brings with the provision of specialist equipment, special diets, extra heating or adaptations among many others.

Carers understandably struggle on to maintain their caring role whilst sustaining employment. Many can fear disclosing their responsibilities at home for fear of putting their employment at risk.

Yet there are benefits to employers who take a considerate approach to working carers in their employment.

Loyalty, commitment and outputs all improve when a carer feels recognised and helped to manage their circumstances. Employers who have invested in their workforce are better off helping to retain carers they have trained and given experience to.

They are valuable resource and taking an accommodating and flexible approach offering compressed hours, flexible working, reduced hours, short career breaks, short notice breaks, privacy at work – for confidentiality – for example, can ensure they retain carers on their staff.