A North Lincolnshire mum tells of the challenges of being an unpaid carer
Lorna Fillingham looks after her daughter full time, and says working would jeopardise her daughter's care
Last updated 3rd May 2023
A North Lincolnshire mother who has been caring for her daughter shares the difficulties of being an unpaid carer as the value of unpaid carers is found to be equivalent to a second NHS. That' for just those in England and Wales.
Unpaid carers contribute £162 billion per year to the economy in the two nations, according to research by Carers UK and the University of Sheffield.
They compared this to an estimated £164 billion in funding for the NHS in 2020/21.
Fewer carers have been providing more hours of care, the charity said, adding that pressures in the social care system mean people are "left without a choice but to put other areas of their life on hold and provide more care".
Lorna Fillingham says she used to be a nurse, but stopped in 2014 to look after her daughter Emily-May:
"So for us, my daughter's got severe learning disabilities, and she's also relies on a wheelchair for her mobility. So she's 13 years old, but she still relies on an adult to do all her activities of daily living; she needs assistance with toileting, and if we're out and about, then I usually feed her, she needs somebody to put clothes on for her.
"So she needs everything still doing for her.
"Many years ago, it was actually in the early years of my daughter's life that I had to give up my role as a nurse because her appointments and needs were such that there was no way that I could continue a career alongside caring for my daughter.
"Some people manage it. But I just don't understand how, because sometimes I just feel like there's nothing left to give at the end of the day, and I don't think I could do both things."
The value of unpaid care in England and Wales has risen by almost a third in a decade and is almost equivalent to a second NHS, a new research estimate has suggested.
The researchers used the latest figures from the 2021 census and calculated the number of people providing unpaid care against the cost for replacement care, taken as £25 per hour in 2021 and £18 per hour in 2011.
Their estimate of £162 billion per year for the economic value of the contributions made by carers in England and Wales in 2021 was 29% more in real terms than 2011, they said.
They used an estimate for NHS funding in England of £156 billion in 2020/21 from the King's Fund health think tank and added the approximately £8 billion budget for the NHS in Wales.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“We all owe unpaid carers a huge amount of gratitude for the time and care they give their friends and family.
“We are supporting social care with up to £7.5 billion over the next two years and last month set out the Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care, our plan to reform social care, backed by £700 million over the next two years - including up to an additional £25 million for unpaid carers. This is on top of the £327 million Better Care Fund that has been earmarked this financial year to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as additional advice and support.
“We are finalising plans for how we deliver the funding for unpaid carers committed in the People at the Heart of Care Next Steps plan, and will provide an update in due course.”