13,243
£3.64m
62%
Why breaks matter
Caring full-time is complex and relentless. Carers are twice as likely to experience poor physical and mental health. Without support carers can burn out and the care they provide for their loved ones suffers.
To make matters worse, carers often experience a shrinking world and financial difficulties as they have to give up employment or reduce their hours. That’s why 68% of unpaid carers are unable to get a break from their caring role when needed (Carers Trust 2023).
The impact
A break gives a carer the chance of a good night’s sleep, the time to connect with a friend, partner or child and the chance to do things they ordinarily can’t get the space for like read a book, go for a swim, take a walk.
But this intervention isn’t just making a difference at the individual level. It’s building resilience into a social care system that is overstretched and unresourced, without adding any additional cost to the public purse.
95%
Improvement in wellbeing
88%
Better able to cope with their caring role
76%
Feel less socially isolated