A mere 12% of England’s unpaid carers have a “good understanding” of the provisions entailed in the new Carer’s Leave Act, a survey has found.

The opinion poll, which was commissioned by GoodOaks Homecare, coincided with new legislation on Saturday granting five days unpaid leave to unpaid carers.

Ben Ashton, founder of the You Are Not Alone campaign, and chief executive of GoodOaks Homecare, said:  “This should serve as a wake-up call to our nation’s leaders. The Carer’s Leave Act is a step forward, but our research underscores a significant gap in awareness and support.   

“It is imperative that we recognise and act upon the urgent necessity to better support our unpaid carers, while also making sure they are aware of the full suite of support options available to them. Unpaid carers are the backbone of our care system. Our commitment to those who provide care must match the depth of their commitment to others.” 

The poll found almost four-fifths of unpaid carers over 65 (77%) were “unaware” of the provisions outlined within the Act, in addition over half of people (55%) who provide unpaid care felt unable to meet their own health and wellbeing needs.

A majority (56%) believed that the government was “ineffectively” supporting those providing care for their loved ones.

Only 11% of respondents felt the Conservative Party would provide the best support for unpaid carers, compared with 41% for Labour and 6% for the Liberal Democrats (despite recent assurances that care would be placed at the heart of their policy agenda).

Almost two-thirds (65%) of those polled said that they would be “likely” to change their vote in favour of a political party that proposed the introduction of additional support measures for those providing unpaid care.