Words by Smiley Team
To mark Carers Rights Day (Thursday 26th November), Carers Network is launching a new episode of their ‘Living Through Lockdown’ podcast series featuring an interview with Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter.
In the episode, Carers Network’s Chair Nadia Taylor – who cares for her parents and husband in Hammersmith, talks with Andy Slaughter MP about the particular challenges facing unpaid carers.
The discussion focusses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of caring, affecting carers’ access to services and activities and their physical and mental health. Recent research from the Carers Trust found that an estimated 4.5 million people in the UK have become unpaid carers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is in addition to the 9.1 million unpaid carers who were already caring before the outbreak, bringing the total number to 13.6 million.
Andy and Nadia also discuss the lack of state support for carers. Carers often struggle to pay for expense such as NHS prescriptions, dental care and transport costs for getting to and from medical appointments.
Many carers will be living on Carers Allowance which is only £67.25 a week, or they will have had to reduce working hours due to their caring role.
Andy Slaughter MP observes how these problems have existed for a long time, but that COVID-19 has accentuated them. He feels this is “effectively discrimination against carers – not giving them the support they need to do the work they do”.
As well as wanting to bring these issues to the forefront this Carers Rights Day he urges us to “celebrate the fantastic achievements of carers and the efforts that are going in to beat the crisis at the moment …. I absolutely appreciate what every single carer in the borough, and indeed across the country, does. I particularly want to say thank you to Carers Network because without the support you give, people will be in a much worse condition both practically but also morally and mentally.” Andy Slaughter MP
If you are a looking after a family member, friend or neighbour on a daily basis and live in the City of Westminster, The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham or the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea contact Carers Network today to book an appointment for a Carer’s Assessment or to speak to a member of our Information and Advice team.
Carers Network would love to be out and about in the community meeting local carers this Carers Rights Day, but due to current restrictions we are instead going to be hosting an online ‘virtual stall’. You can pop in, meet the staff team over a cup of tea or coffee, and find out how Carers Network can help you. There will be a morning session from 11am-1pm and an afternoon session from 2pm-4pm. To receive a login please email [email protected]
You can also head to the website to donate, volunteer, refer people who might benefit from the Network's support.
