Addressing the annual conference, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary said: “Unpaid carers make a huge contribution to our NHS, to society and to the people they care for, but carers are going without the support they need and deserve and the cost of living crisis is piling further stress on carers struggling to make ends meet.
 
“Over two-thirds of Usdaw members are juggling paid work with looking after someone and while caring can be very rewarding, it's hugely demanding. It comes with all sorts of additional costs and limits the paid work you are able to do. The value of unpaid care is around £162 billion pounds a year. I can't see this reflected in the way they are treated by this Government.
 
“Carer's Allowance is a pitiful £76.75 a week and if you earn a penny over £139 you lose your entitlement altogether, leaving carers struggling to make ends meet or unable to access support. Usdaw stands up for carers' rights. This Spotlight Day on Wednesday 26 June, we will be calling for better financial support for carers and an end to carer poverty.”
 
Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion