Unpaid carers forced to quit work due to lack of support

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 21:02 · Archive

An MP has warned that residents in North Yorkshire are being forced to leave employment because of caring responsibilities and insufficient services.

Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, has warned that unpaid carers are being forced to give up work because of caring responsibilities and a lack of support. A mother living on the Yorkshire coast recently left her job to care for her eight-year-old autistic son because his needs could not be met through existing educational provision. Another couple in the area, Steve and Sindy, brought their 26-year-old son home from his placement due to safety concerns and found a shortage of suitable supported living placements in Scarborough.

Ms Hume told Westminster Hall that too many unpaid carers are being forced to sacrifice their health and battle overstretched services. She said around 1,500 people are forced to leave the workforce every day because of caring responsibilities. She described caring as often being a full-time job whose hours make it impossible to remain in paid employment. Ms Hume acknowledged that she herself changed careers to accommodate her son's needs, but said she was 'one of the lucky ones'. She highlighted that thousands of families across the country face significant financial costs as a result of their commitment to caring for relatives.

How it is being reported

• ‘We have been left to cope alone,’ says mum who quit work to care for sonRESIDENTS are being forced to quit work because of caring responsibilities and a lack of support, a North Yorkshire MP has warned.York Press · 21 Oct, 20:00
• ‘We have been left to cope alone,’ says mum who quit work to care for sonRESIDENTS are being forced to quit work because of caring responsibilities and a lack of support, a North Yorkshire MP has warned.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 21 Oct, 20:00

In this story: Alison Hume · Scarborough and Whitby · North Yorkshire · Yorkshire

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