Report to members 2007-08

This report to our members covers activity carried out by Carers UK from 2007 - 2008

Message from the chair

On behalf of Carers UK I would like to thank everyone for their support – our members, carers and disability organisations, our employer and research partners and our 1,000 supporter organisations who put us in touch with over 1 million carers. I would also like to thank all the companies, trusts and individuals who have supported us during the year, including all the generous people who left gifts in their wills. With their help, our achievements show that campaigning does lead to real changes which improve carers’ lives. The pace of change is without doubt frustratingly slow at times and no one is under any illusions about the task ahead, especially when carers continue to live in poverty, suffer ill health and are unable to continue in of employment. Carers UK will campaign ceaselessly for carers to get the recognition and support they deserve.

Don Brereton, Chair

Campaigning

Real Change Not Short Change

“The Government should really do something about Carer’s Allowance. I really don’t think they’ve listened to carers.”
Lynda Wisbach, Carers UK member who cares for her husband.

Many carers fall into poverty and suffer severe financial hardship. Real change not short change is our campaign for a radical reform of
the tax and benefits system.

What we have achieved:

• 8,000 carers joined our protest calling on Gordon Brown to overhaul carer benefits
• Government commitment to review carer benefits and a target that by 2018 no carer is forced into financial hardship by their caring role
• improved pension provision for 60,000 carers who would otherwise have lost out from Government proposals.

What next?

• stepping up our campaign for better carer benefits with a lobby and action around Carers Rights Day
  
• ensuring that the promised review of benefits hears the views of carers.

Back Me up

“Carers don’t want to be put on the back burner. We can’t be expected to continue caring indefinitely without being given support to have a life of our own. This should be seen as part of our human rights.”
Jill Pay, Carers UK member who cares for her daughter.

Without the right support caring can seriously damage your health. Back Me Up is our campaign to ensure carers get the support they deserve.

What we have achieved:

• put social care at top of political agenda
• worked with leading academics on radical rethink of social care with carers at its heart
• we are a partner of Caring with Confidence providing training to carers on preventing ill health and stress
• working with the telecare industry to find innovative ways of helping carers.

What next?

• make sure carers are at the heart of Government’s future social care proposals
• produce research on Direct Payments and whether they are benefiting carers.

Make Work Work

“It’s impossible for carers like myself to be released for paid work until there’s a deputy with an equal level of skills to take over at home.”
Preethi Manuel, Carers UK member who cares for her daughter.

1 in 5 carers are forced to give up work because of their caring responsibilities and can end up isolated and living in poverty. Make Work
Work is our campaign to help carers who are balancing work and care.

What we achieved:

• 60,000 information packs sent to employers on their responsibilities and how supporting working carers benefits their employees and their business
• published a guide for working carers on their new rights to flexible working
• won a commitment from Government for major campaign to promote flexible working for carers and for improved support for carers from Jobcentre Plus.

What next?

• Carers UK is setting up Employers for Carers – large, medium and small businesses who will demonstrate and promote better support for carers
• we will work with Jobcentre Plus on how they support carers and former carers wanting to return to work.

Advice and information

“It was only when I found out about Carers UK that I got the right information about what practical and financial help was available that made my life so much easier.”
Maryann Finnegan, Carers UK member who cares for her mother.

Many carers do not know what benefits to claim or how to get support services. Carers UK helps carers get what they are entitled to.

What we achieved:

• thousands of carers told about their rights at 1,100 local events held on Carers Rights Day
• £9 million of benefits claimed by carers as a result of our advice, with each caller £1,300 a year better off
• won a commitment from Government for £3 million for a national helpline
• Council Tax Discount take up campaign resulted in an extra £225,000 for callers to CarersLine.

What next?

• we will tender for the national helpline contract
• improve our range of printed and online information.

Transforming understanding

"Sometimes the stuffing gets knocked right out of us by some judgmental statement from a professional and we feel like giving up, but then we read another personal story, another news article and we realise we can’t give up. We have to keep the pressure up.”
Rosemary O’Neill, Carers UK member who cares for her brother.

We want to transform the understanding of carers so they are valued and not discriminated against.

What we achieved:

• 2,769 professionals trained on the law and supporting carers
• 18,000 hidden carers helped during Carers Week
• 30 appearances on TV and 50 on radio to get over our message that carers need better support
• runner up as most admired charity - Third Sector Charity Awards
• major contributer to world conference on carers in Toronto
• set up Eurocarers to influence debate across Europe
• commitment on carers from major political parties.

What next?

• making carers a political priority at next general election
• finding new ways to reach the public and get our message across.

Strong voice

“Carers UK is my voice so we carers cannot be ignored by Government.”
Dave Burgess, Carers UK member who cares for his wife.

Our achievements are won with the support of thousands of carers, supporters and organisations who together put us in touch with over
1 million carers.

What we achieved:

• 9 regional events with 620 carers saying what needs to change reflected in report Carers Voices
• 235 carers trained on local campaigning through our Equal Partners project
• campaign briefings for carers on improving local services for carers, including emergency care, telecare and the NHS
• carers pressed Government Ministers for urgent action to improve support for carers.

What next?

• making sure carers get information on new funding for breaks and other changes so they can lobby their local council
• strengthen our voice by growing our membership and supporter base.

What we did with your money

95 pence out of every pound the charity spends goes directly to helping carers. The summarised accounts show the overall financial position of the charity. Our finances are on a stable footing.

Total income for the year was £3,907k of which 2,496k came as grants from Government, other public bodies and trusts. Our other main incomes streams are legacies, donations and gifts from trusts, businesses and individuals, training fees and membership subscriptions.

Our total expenditure for the year was £4,627k. Around 37% of that expenditure related to policy implementation, 32% to carers' involvement and 26% to campaigning and policy development. The remaining 5% covered fundraising and governance.

The full accounts can be downloaded here.