RBL launches new report into Armed Forces carers
Armed Forces carers face additional challenges says new RBL report
The Royal British Legion has launched its new report into the experiences of carers in the Armed Forces, highlighting some key challenges and making a number of new recommendations.
The charity is keen to improve the profile of this important group – Armed Forces carers. It wants them to feel valued, and receive support tailored to their needs, thereby improving both their quality of life and that of the person they care for.
The report, Unpaid Carers in the Armed Forces Community details some troubling findings, including:
- 71% of survey respondents said that their caring responsibilities have had a negative impact on their mental health in the last year, with 50% saying they had negatively impacted their physical health in the last year.
- Carers in the Armed Forces community are receiving less support than carers in the general population; with 2 in 5 carers in who responded to the survey saying they had not received any support in the last two years.
- Fewer than one in ten carers in the Armed Forces community who responded had been able to take a break from caring in the last year (9%), which was even lower if the carer was caring for a veteran (4%).
- Serving carers face unique issues and 1 in 4 of the serving carers who responded to the survey feel they are currently unable to balance their caring responsibilities with their military career.
The Royal British Legion hope the will help inform policy makers to make changes to benefit this large and often unseen group.
Please see more about our tailored support for Armed Forces Carers in Surrey here.