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- There are 660,000 carers in Scotland - 1 in 8 of the population
- Every day almost 500 people take on a caring responsibility - that's 178,000 people each year
- 3 in 5 of us will become carers at some point in our lives.
- 110,000 people provide over 50 hours of care per week
- Over 250,000 people juggle caring with holding down a job
- By 2037 the number of carers in Scotland will have increased to around 1 million
- Carers save the Scottish economy £7.6 billion - almost equalling the cost of providing NHS services in Scotland.
- The main carers' benefit is worth just £53.10 for a minimum of 35 hours - £1.52 per hour - far short of the national minimum wage of £5.52 per hour.
- 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.
- Three quarters of carers say their health is worse because of their caring responsibilities.