Unpaid family carers who are struggling financially and have little training are saving the State more than €2.8 billion a year, according to a report.
The New Agenda on Ageing report found that informal carers provide more than 3.7 million hours of care each week, meaning the average full-time carer was saving the State €44,616 per year.
The report found many carers were unable to work because of the heavy demands and responsibilities of caring.
Family members often find themselves undertaking the carer’s role for people with high dependency needs with little consultation or training, it found. Most unpaid carers are spouses who often neglect their own health issues and are more at risk of social and economic deprivation.
