Carers Wales is calling for action from council candidates as it launches its manifesto ahead of the local authority elections on May 5.

Despite nearly all Covid restrictions having been lifted, unpaid carers are at the back of the queue when it comes to local services they rely on re-opening, and they are struggling with the increased costs-of-caring on top of the wider cost-of-living crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers across Wales have seen their health and finances deteriorate as they have had to provide more care with less support in communities across Wales during the pandemic. Unpaid carers in every community in Wales saved local government social services and other services in Wales £33m every day at the height of the pandemic by caring for ill, elderly, and disabled people.

Recent research published by the charity found that many of the local authority services relied on by carers, and those they care for, are still heavily disrupted. Just eight per cent of carers said that day centres and care homes for respite breaks had fully re-opened, and only 16 per cent said sitting services had fully re- opened. Carers are dealing with the increased costs-of-caring on top of accelerating inflation, with recent Carers Wales research finding that carers in Wales were having to spend an average of £1,300 of their own money to provide care.

Carers Wales has released a manifesto “A Recovery for Carers”, which proposes actions local authority candidates should endorse, and the councils elected on May 5 should action, to deliver a local recovery for unpaid carers. The charity is calling for local authorities to

The Carers Wales manifesto for the local authority elections can be viewed on the carerswales.org website. Carers Wales encourages carers, and all those who support them, to discuss the manifesto with council candidates. The local authorities elected next month must provide hope and deliver real improvements for unpaid carers.

Beth Evans, Carers Wales Policy Manager said

“Unpaid carers in every community in Wales have been pushed to breaking point by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Their mental and physical health has worsened, and by providing unpaid care to people in need they have saved local government social services and the NHS billions of pounds a year.

“Our research has found the local authority services carers rely on are still heavily disrupted. At a time of minimal Covid restrictions, carers should not have to wait any longer for a recovery from the pandemic and the local authority elections must be the start of this change.”