Unpaid carers facing ‘significantly’ higher spending due to cost of living crisis

People ‘struggling to pay for essentials such as heating and electricity’, says charity

The cost of living crisis has hit carers hard (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One in three unpaid carers are now spending “significantly” more than last year looking after loved ones, it has been claimed.

A poll of 1,000 people who cared for others non-professionally found 78 per cent had spent more time this year ensuring the home of the person they provide care for was energy efficient.

And on average they had spent more than £400 on things like changing the lightbulbs to LEDs (49 per cent), bleeding radiators (42 per cent), having the boiler serviced (35 per cent) and getting better quality curtains (36 per cent).

Phillippa Brown from Smart Energy GB, which commissioned the study, said: “Unpaid carers take on a huge amount of responsibility looking after friends or family, and the cost of living crisis is only making their role more challenging.

“But it’s important to know that even small things can really help to ease the burden on carers and ensure their loved ones are prepared for the colder months.”

It is not just costs which are rising, as 80 per cent of respondents said they had taken on responsibility for more aspects of life which they previously knew little about.

The most common things those unpaid carers had had to gain a detailed understanding of were managing energy use (65 per cent), food prices (61 per cent) and budgeting (48 per cent).

More than eight in 10 (83 per cent) unpaid carers agreed their stress levels were rising due to the unavoidable cost increases related to the care they provided.

And less than one-tenth (eight per cent) said they thought there had been enough support offered to them during the cost of living crisis.

The main aid they said they would like was financial support, selected by 74 per cent of respondents, while 57 per cent wanted help managing energy bills.

More than seven in 10 (71 per cent) even went as far as to say that managing the current cost of living crisis had been one of the toughest things they have faced as a carer.

And 82 per cent found it difficult to know where to turn for help and advice about being a carer, according to the OnePoll figures.

Madeleine Starr from Carers UK added: “Unpaid carers and the people they are caring for are struggling to pay for essentials such as heating and electricity which is crucial for the people they support.

“It is imperative that carers and the person they are caring for can keep their energy costs as low as possible.”