Carers in capital save nation £6bn

London’s carers save the state £6.1bn a year by providing care services but lack adequate support, according to a new report.

The 27,500 carers in Barnet, north London, save the most out of the capital’s 33 boroughs by providing support worth £286m a year, followed by Croydon’s 28,000 carers, whose support saves the state £277m.

The research was carried out by Carers London, a charity representing the capital’s 593,000 carers, which has launched a carers’ manifesto backed by London’s deputy mayor, Nicky Gavron.

The charity said carers in London were on average twice as likely as non-carers to suffer poor health, while the high cost of living in the capital left many in poverty.

It is calling for improved financial and practical support from the London boroughs, including the introduction of carer-friendly employment policies.

● Carers London manifesto