Almost two million are missing out on vital support because they do not consider themselves carers

• Nearly half of carers are worse off by £5,000 a year
• A quarter of carers have had to spend their savings to cover the costs

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 02:08, 20 May 2013 | UPDATED: 02:08, 20 May 2013

Almost two million carers may be missing out on vital support because they are ‘under the radar’ of official figures, it is feared.

As many as 1.75million of the 6.5million Britons who have responsibilities for looking after loved ones do not consider themselves as carers, says a report.

They are therefore failing to apply for a range of help available to them from local authorities and the health service, as well as charities.

The demands of the role can affect their health and well-being as well as their finances, with nearly half worse off by £5,000 a year.

The report from the Scottish Widows think-tank the Centre for the Modern Family reveals almost one in three adults – 15million Britons – supports friends or family without financial reward in some way.

Most willingly do so and see the role as part of their family duty.

However, it found that the 6.5million with significant responsibilities end up dedicating an average of 27 hours a week to the role, with some having to work part-time or give up work altogether.

Nearly half (44 per cent) of households with caring responsibilities say they are financially worse off, by an average of £404 per month – or £5,000 a year.

One in five carers said they cannot save for a rainy day and a quarter have had to spend their savings to cover the cost of care.

Almost a quarter have had to cut down on vital spending such as groceries and travel to cover the cost of their responsibilities. Those looking after adults who are disabled or have long-term illness are hardest hit, with a third saying they are coping badly.

These individuals also have the lowest household incomes, with a staggering 43 per cent having an income under £20,000. In contrast, those looking after older people have average incomes of around £30,000.

Three out of four of those caring for a younger adult say the family is  providing most of the day-to-day care – and the same proportion say the State should be administering the majority of this care.

The report, based on some 1,500 interviews, also found two-thirds of the general population do not want to think about their own care needs.

And people are generally pessimistic about the current state of care and support in the UK – with 87 per cent believing that society is less  caring than it was five years ago.

Lord Leitch, chairman of Centre for the Modern Family, said: ‘The centre’s research on caring in families is both stark and humbling – the issue of care affects a far greater number of the population than has been previously understood and its impact has huge implications for how families manage, interact and cope.

‘Government, organisations and communities need to work together to understand who is best-placed to provide a safety network to reward and relieve those in these great positions of trust and responsibility.

‘With 63 per cent of the population not wanting to think about their care needs in the future, combined with our society not having found a work-able solution to long-term care, there is work to be done to build a better future.’

Carers are eligible for a range of support, most of it provided through local authorities and the health  service, including respite care and financial assistance.