Find an average group of eight Australians, and at least one of them will be a carer. That’s about three million people across the country who are providing unpaid care and support to others.
Whether it’s adults caring for parents or relatives, siblings caring for siblings, or children and young people caring for parents or family members, carers not only enrich the lives of the people they support, but they also contribute an enormous amount to the Australian economy.
And of course, anyone can become a carer at any time.
Carers provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends – often people with disability or those who are ageing – but also people with mental health conditions, drug or alcohol addictions, chronic health conditions, and terminal illnesses.
Because they’re unpaid, carers are estimated to save the Australian economy and society almost $80 billion every year – at least, that’s what the Australian Government reported for 2020 alone. At the same time, carers and their families also bear significant costs. In the same year, the Draft National Strategy for the Care and Support Economy estimated that lost earnings of unpaid carers were $15.3 billion.
Run annually in October, National Carers Week recognises, celebrates and raises awareness about the caring role undertaken by people across the country. An initiative of Carers Australia, National Carers Week shines a light on the work carers perform and highlights the importance of ensuring carers themselves are supported.
So, what supports are out there for carers and how can we, as individuals and a community, help care for carers?
If you’re a carer you may be eligible for payments from the Australian Government if you’re unpaid and providing someone with full time care or daily support.
The Carer Payment is available if you provide constant care for someone, while the Carer Allowance is a supplementary payment if you provide daily care. You may be eligible for both payments.
These payments may also be paid to you alongside other payments you might receive, including the Disability Support Pension, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment. You may also be eligible for the annual Carer Supplement.
If you care for a child with disability, there’s an annual payment for carers receiving the Carer Allowance, called the Child Disability Assistance Payment.
The Carer Adjustment Payment is a one-off payment for carers of a child younger than seven. The payment supports families with a child diagnosed with a severe medical condition or disability following a catastrophic event, where they demonstrate a strong need for financial help.
Find out more about payments available to carers here.
There are about 235,000 young carers aged under 25 years across the nation. Young carers often have the unique juggle of balancing their caring role while also studying or training – and sometimes, when caring takes priority, everything else can slip.
The Young Carer Bursary program, funded by the Australian Government and administered by Carers Australia, provides bursaries (grants specifically for study and training) to support young carers to continue with their education and reduce their need to undertake paid work at the same time as their study and caring duties.
Supporting young carers to remain in education or training – or return to their studies – can help their long-term prospects, improve employment opportunities, and recognise their identity outside of being a carer.
Carer Gateway has been designed especially to support carers. An initiative of the Australian Government, Carer Gateway provides free services in person, online or over the phone.
Its services include:
If you have different communication needs, Carer Gateway is accessible in a variety of forms, including:
Respite care gives both carers and the people they care for the chance to take a break. Whether it’s getting some rest, seeing some fresh faces, or meeting new people, it’s important for everyone to take time for themselves.
Carers who receive the Carer Allowance or Carer Payment can access 63 days of respite each year, without it affecting their payment. Respite may be planned or might be needed quickly in an emergency – for example, if a carer needs to go to hospital.
Read more about respite care here.
Are you a brother or sister who’s caring for your sibling with disability? Whatever your age, Siblings Australia has information and support for siblings (as well as parents and professionals).
Whether you’re looking for support and information, or you’ve been thrust into a role where you have more responsibility for your brother or sister and you need to think about future planning, Siblings Australia may be able to help.
Read our article about the supports available to siblings of people with disability here.
But what if you’re not a carer (yet), but you know someone who is?
National Carers’ Week has suggestions for providing practical and emotional support to the carers in your life.
You could:
Newsflash – with 3 million Australians being carers, it’s highly likely you’re employing people who clock off from their paid work with you and then leave to care for someone they love.
So, how can employers support carers?
Carers + Employers provides network membership and accreditation for businesses and organisations to become employers of choice for carers.
Here’s a fact sheet from the program with 10 tips for a carer friendly workplace. Want to know more? Click here.
Whether you’re a carer or you know a carer, National Carers Week – and every week – is the time to recognise the vital work unpaid carers do. From individual support, right up to nationwide impact, we wouldn’t be the community we are without carers.
Want to know more about carers in our country? Here are all the facts and figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
13 September 2024
