Statement by Ben Whalley, CEO of Gaddum
In light of recent government proposals, we urge decision makers to acknowledge the role of unpaid carers in all our communities. Often hidden, but nearly always misunderstood, if the state were to pay the nearly 6 million unpaid carers, it would cost nearly the same amount as the entire national NHS budget (between £162 and £184 billion).
As a frontline service provider for around 40% of Greater Manchester’s carers, we urge policymakers to consult with carers, charities and service providers. The new policies must reflect carers’ realities: their need for flexible employment opportunities, fair financial support, and accessible services. Together, we can create a system that properly values carers, recognises their contributions, and provides them with the help they deserve.
Every day at Gaddum, we see firsthand how a lack of support can push carers to breaking point—often forcing them to reduce their working hours or leave the workforce entirely. And our colleagues also see “carer burnout” on an increasingly frequent basis – whereby carers can no longer deal with the emotional stress, financial poverty and uncertainty of their caring role. The resulting impact on health and social care is often in the thousands of pounds of care packages that must be put in place.
We believe that any short term cost savings realised as a result of proposed changes to the financial support for carers will ultimately cost the system more in unintended consequences.
Gaddum’s ask is therefore threefold:
- protect carers and the vital role they play in our society
- ensure their rights are respected, not eroded, and
- stop dismantling the already fragile support mechanisms that are in place to enable them to continue to provide unpaid care and support.