Carers UK

Not everyone is so lucky.

In fact, according to a new report by Carers UK, which doesn't actually deal with parenting, your situation would not be helped by this, Jen.

But, you know, time will eventually help your situation.

Yes, according to Carers UK, thousands of people are having to leave their jobs because they can no longer juggle work and caring for ill, disabled or elderly members of their family.

How many? Astonishingly, 1,500 people a day.

Fuck.

can go fuck themselves.

Indeed, yeah.

This is an extraordinary story with mind-boggling numbers.

According to a Carers UK report that was released today, more than 1,500 Brits quit their jobs every single day to care for sick elderly or disabled loved ones.

Seven years ago, this figure was less than half with 600 people quitting to become full-time carers.

There are an estimated 11 million unpaid carers in the UK right now.

This workforce exodus is costing the economy an estimated £37 billion annually, and experts warn that businesses are bleeding valuable skills.

As the government consults on introducing statutory paid carers leave, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly acknowledged the severe toll, warning that that inadequate care support can and does break people.

Well, joining me now to discuss this is Emily Holzhausen, CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK.

Good evening to you, Emily.

the preparation required, the training of replacement carers, the anxiety about leaving a medically complex loved one with someone unfamiliar, all of these created a respite burden that can cost as much caregiving energy as the respite is supposed to restore.

In the United Kingdom, Carers UK has documented that 45% of carers are unable to take a break from caregiving, with the figure rising significantly for those in high-intensity roles.

And among those who do access respite, a significant proportion reported feeling anxious or guilty during the break, meaning the nervous system does not fully receive the restoration the respite was intended to provide.

Moving across the United States, the National Alliance for Caregiving found that 72% of caregivers reported not going to the doctor as often as they should because of the caregiver responsibility, a finding that speaks directly to why self-care, even at its most basic, gets systematically deprioritized in caregiver lives.

In Australia, researchers found that more than seventy percent of carers report their physical and mental health has been negatively impacted by caregiving.

In the UK, Carers UK has documented that eighty-one percent of carers have felt lonely or isolated as a result of caring.

In the United States, the National Alliance for Caregiving found that twenty-three percent of caregivers reported their health is worse as a result of caregiving responsibilities.

These are not statistics about weakness.