THE BOROUGH’s growing army of unpaid carers are saving the county’s social care sector an estimated £164million a year but are being left to struggle with little or no support or financial help.

According to expert analysis the 8,889 people across the borough caring for a loved one save the public purse an average of £18,473 a year each in care which would otherwise have to be provided by the state at a cost of £18 an hour.

More than 2,000 of those are providing over 50 hours of unpaid care a week.

Figures from the 2011 census show in the last ten years the number of unpaid carers in the borough has grown by over 1,000 but charities warn the actual figure is likely to be much higher as many people do not class themselves as carers and consider caring for a loved one just part of their family duty.

The biggest increase is in the number of people aged 65 and over now classing themselves as carers which has grown by 60 per cent since 2001 to 1,762 – reflecting the borough’s ageing population and increase in conditions such as dementia.

But in return for their contribution the amount available in carer’s allowance is just £59.75 a week – or £3,107 a year – and it is only available to people aged 16 and over and who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for their loved one.

Carers UK has called on the Government to carry out an urgent review of Carer’s Allowance, the lowest benefit of its kind, as well as for the system to recognise the contribution of carers.

The call was supported by Redditch based charity Carers Careline.

Spokeswoman Diane Thomas said: “It is pitiful the amount people are paid to look after a loved one, some people have to give up well paid jobs to care and I think they deserve better.

“People are living longer, there’s an increase in dementia, Alzheimer’s and physical conditions and more people are going to become carers. If the Government doesn’t do something about this and recognise it the situation is going to reach crisis point.”

Redditch MP Karen Lumley said the current system was complicated and treated carers differently from the people they cared for, which the Government was changing by reforming social care to provide more control to individuals and their carers.

She added over the next four years they would provide £400million through the NHS to support carers’ breaks and £800million up to 2015 for short breaks for parents of children with disabilities, but she would contact the relevant minister to ask if there were plans to improve carer’s allowance.

* Carers Careline is available on 01527 66177 for advice and support.