(Welsh Parliament Health & Social Care Committee, April 2026)

The Committee’s report lays out, in stark and often harrowing detail, what unpaid carers across Wales have been saying for years: the system is failing them, and it is failing them at scale.

The evidence is unambiguous. Carers describe being “in a maze and not finding the way out easily” and reaching out for help only to be told “there is nothing we can do” when they are at breaking point. Young carers speak of constant anxiety, isolation, and the impossibility of balancing education with caring responsibilities. One young carer put it plainly: “My mind just feels like a hive of bees.”

Across every chapter, the report shows a system that is legally well‑intentioned but practically absent. Rights exist on paper, but not in lived experience. Support exists in theory, but not in time, place, or form that carers actually need.

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🔥 Key Failings Identified

1. Carers are invisible in the system

Professionals routinely miss opportunities to identify carers — even when carers accompany loved ones to appointments. As one carer said:

“My mother was diagnosed… and that was it… You’re on your own, completely.”

2. Legal rights are not being upheld

The report confirms a “significant implementation gap” between the Social Services and Well‑being (Wales) Act and what carers actually receive. Only 2.8% of carers in some areas had their needs assessed. Many wait months, only to be offered nothing.

3. Respite is almost non‑existent

Carers describe respite as “essential to maintaining capacity to care” — yet it is the most consistently unmet need. Overnight, emergency, and culturally appropriate respite are especially scarce.

4. Carers’ health is deteriorating

Carers report exhaustion, burnout, and worsening physical and mental health. One said:

“I feel like I’m in the middle of an ocean and I can’t get out.”

Research cited in the report shows suicide risk among carers is comparable to military veterans who have seen active service.

5. Young carers are carrying inappropriate burdens

Young carers miss more school, have worse attainment, and face barriers to employment and higher education. Many are not identified by schools at all.

6. Data is shockingly poor

Local authorities cannot answer basic questions about how many carers they support, how long people wait, or what outcomes are achieved. The report calls this “shocking” and a major barrier to improvement.

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🧭 What the Committee Demands

The report makes 35 recommendations, including:

• A national awareness campaign to help carers self‑identify.
• Incentives for GPs and hospitals to identify carers.
• Minimum standards for carers’ assessments and respite.
• A requirement that no hospital discharge proceeds unless the carer confirms they are willing and able to provide care.
• Multi‑year funding for carers’ services.
• A feasibility study for a Welsh Carer’s Allowance Supplement.
• Mandatory training for school staff on young carers.
• Full delivery of the Young Carers ID card scheme.
• A national data set on unpaid carers, with interim reporting before 2027.

These are not optional extras — they are the minimum required to prevent further harm.

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🎯 Overall Message

The report is a damning indictment of the status quo. It confirms what carers have been saying for years:

• They are exhausted.
• They are unsupported.
• They are legally entitled to help they do not receive.
• And they are keeping the care system afloat at enormous personal cost.

The Committee’s conclusion is clear:

Wales must do far better — urgently, consistently, and with real accountability.