Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor says that unpaid carers in Wales are being denied vital support due to a total failure by government to keep an accurate record of those eligible for respite care.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mr ap Gwynfor said that thousands of unpaid carers across Wales, including many in his constituency, were missing out on support because there was a total failure in the gathering of data to assess who was eligible.  

Figures reveal that 10% of the population of Wales are unpaid carers, with around 20,000 children and young people undertaking caring responsibilities. Unpaid carers save Wales £10 billion a year in costs.   

Mr ap Gwynfor said that unpaid carers were suffering from burnout and exhaustion, exacerbated by not being able to access the relevant assessment required to claim respite. He called the situation completely unsustainable.  

Speaking in the Senedd, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:

The one thing that is vital in terms of carers is the ability to access respite. The history of the successes of trade unions is clear to all, from delivering two salaried days off a week, restrictions on working hours, minimum pay and much more - all important steps, but totally irrelevant to this voluntary workforce caring for their loved ones. Their working week is not made up of five working days, seven hours a day, with 25 days of leave every year; those aren’t their terms and conditions. There are no rules to say that young people aged 16 cannot work more than eight hours a week for carers. But, again, there are over 20,000 young carers in Wales working diligently for their loved ones, without the support that they need, on top of their other duties and their education - children and young people sacrificing their childhoods and having to grow up far too soon. Where is their respite? There is no union for them. Thank goodness for organisations such as the Carers Trust Wales for their advocacy on their behalf. There is a duty to provide respite to those carers who have received an assessment, but very few carers have been able to access such an assessment. The numbers are very, very small, up to 8% only. Without an assessment, there is no duty to ensure that they receive respite, and, without respite, carers suffer burnout, they are exhausted, and they become ill themselves; their own mental health and that of their loved ones suffers, and greater pressure is shouldered by social services and the health service. As a result, everyone suffers. The current system is not sustainable. I referred to the fact that there is an estimate of how many carers receive an assessment. This leads me to my final point, namely the total failure of this Government, across every policy area, truth be told, to gather clear data. How can resources be allocated, and policies developed effectively without accurate data as a foundation for action? Respecting our unpaid carers means responding to their needs, and the only way of doing this is by gathering the data and the core information to know what is happening on the ground. It is staggering that we are having to ask for legislation to enforce these basic steps, but that's where we are in Wales at present. The government should show the unpaid carers of Wales that it takes their well-being seriously.

Mr ap Gwynfor added: 

Unpaid carers are legally entitled to get an assessment of their needs. An assessment will confirm the respite needs of these carers, which is essential for their wellbeing. Yet only between 0.3% and 8% of carers get an assessment meaning that most unpaid carers go without the support and respite they both need and are entitled to. The Government must ensure that local authorities are properly funded so that they can complete these assessments.