Carers

Unpaid carers, also referred to as informal carers, are people who provide care to anyone because of long-term physical or mental ill-health or disability, or care needs relating to old age.

According to the 2021 Census, around 9% of people in England provided unpaid care but this is likely to have been an under-estimate.  The true number of unpaid carers in Herefordshire is unknown but may be as high as a fifth of all adults.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated that across England as a whole at age 50 years, females can expect to spend 4.7 years and males 3.5 years of their remaining life providing unpaid care.

Carers of all ages face many challenges, especially young carers, older adult carers, and/or those providing high levels of care (50+ hours per week).  Caring responsibilities can have an adverse impact on quality of life, leaving carers time-poor, socially isolated, less able to access employment or educational opportunities, and with significantly poorer mental and physical health, than their peers without any caring responsibilities.    Importantly, the highest proportions of unpaid carers In Herefordshire are found in rural areas, where geographical barriers to accessing services can be a significant issue.