Value of unpaid care matches NHS budget, research finds

The value of unpaid care in England and Wales is almost equivalent to a second NHS, a new research estimate suggests.

Unpaid carers contribute an annual £162bn to the economy in the two nations, the Carers UK charity and the University of Sheffield found.

This is compared to an estimated £164bn in funding for the NHS in 2020/21.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was "supporting social care with up to £7.5bn over the next two years".

Carers UK said social care pressures meant people were being "left without a choice but to put other areas of their life on hold and provide more care".

Researchers used 2021 Census figures 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 £162bn per year was 29% higher in real terms than in 2011, they said.

The estimated NHS budget for England came from the King's Fund health think tank, researchers said, with an additional £8bn added as an estimate for the NHS budget in Wales.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, described the findings as "deeply concerning" and said unpaid carers felt they were being "taken for granted".

"The ever-declining availability of social care means there is shrinking support for families to pull on," she said.

"Having to care around the clock for a loved one has significant implications for people's ability to stay in paid work, remain financially resilient and maintain their health."

Matt Bennett, deputy director of the university's centre for care, said: "The economic contribution made by unpaid carers paints a stark picture of the savings they make to health care budgets.

"Without unpaid carers, our health and social care systems would collapse - we hope policy makers see the urgent need to act to support unpaid carers."

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: "We all owe unpaid carers a huge amount of gratitude for the time and care they give their friends and family".

They added the government was supporting social care with "up to £7.5bn over the next two years" and in April had published a reform plan.

The DHSC also provides £325m through the Better Care Fund for "short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as additional advice and support".

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