AQW 18488/17-22

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 06/05/2021
Answered On Date: 18/05/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the estimated number of unpaid carers; (ii) the number of unpaid carers that would qualify for carers’ allowance; (iii) the estimated savings from the work of unpaid carers; and (iv) a breakdown of the ages of those people cared for by unpaid carers.

Answer:

The 2011 Census showed that there were 213,863 people who indicated that they provided some level of unpaid care in Northern Ireland. We do not hold any data on the current numbers of people providing unpaid care;

Carer’s Allowance is administered and overseen by the Department of Communities;

While UK-wide estimates of between £57 billion and £100 billion have been produced no independent NI research has been commissioned to account for local factors; and

This information is not available.