Carers UK campaign round up

Poverty
Caring comes with a price. Many carers fall into poverty and suffer severe financial hardship as a direct result of caring.

What Carers UK has been doing

• We launched our campaign Real change not short change urging carers to tell Gordon Brown to improve benefits.
• We sent details of our research on the financial impact of caring to local and national media and to every MP.

Employment discrimination
Carers wishing to work are often discriminated against because care services do not fit around their working lives and employers do not support flexible working.

What Carers UK has been doing

• We've sent out over 9,000 free packs for employers to inform them of the new right to flexible working for carers and to show them how supporting working carers is good for business.
• Through our CarersLine we've been advising hundreds of working carers on how best to apply for flexible working.

Isolation and social exclusion
Caring can be an isolating activity and carers are at risk of missing our on parts of everyday life that others take for granted.

What Carers UK has been doing

• We launched a new booklet 'New to caring' aimed at the 2 million people who become carers each year. This booklet covers the basics they need to know as they adjust to being a carer.

Recognition
Carers make a huge contribution to society, yet have no real recognition or rights.

What Carers UK has been doing

• We have launched Eurocarers to raise the profile of carers across the European Union and to lobby in Brussels at the European Parliament.
• During the Scottish election we distributed 60,000 manifestos and 40,000 postcards. We have now written to all MSPs and Councillors asking for their support in the next 4 years.

Ill health
Caring can seriously damage your health and wellbeing - exhaustion, a bad back, stress, worry and depression.

What Carers UK has been doing

• During Carers Week we drew attention to the impact caring has on relationships and well-being. Hundreds of GP surgeries and Primary Care Trusts ran events for Carers Week.
• We want to make sure carers get the support they need to stay healthy and as part of the Caring Choices coalition we're leading the debate about the future of long-term care funding.

Find out what else Carers UK has been doing this year
Campaign round up May 2007
Campaign round up Jan 2007