Ten facts about Carers in Scotland

  1. There are 660,000 carers in Scotland - 1 in 8 of the population.

  2. Every day almost 500 people take on a caring responsibility - that's 178,000 people each year.

  3. 3 in 5 of us will become carers at some point in our lives.

  4. 110,000 people provide over 50 hours of care per week.

  5. Over 250,000 people juggle caring with holding down a job.

  6. By 2037 the number of carers in Scotland will have increased to around 1 million.

  7. Carers save the Scottish economy £7.6 billion - almost equalling the cost of providing NHS services in Scotland.

  8. The main carers' benefit is worth is far short of the national minimum wage.

  9. Three quarters of carers are struggling to pay utility bills and more than half are cutting back on food and heating to make ends meet.

  10. Three quarters of carers say their health is worse because of their caring responsibilities.

 Source: Carers Scotland