Submissions

Carers provide a vital service to the broader community, reducing the need for formal (paid) care. However, time spent caring significantly reduces the time available for carers to participate in employment and education, and too often they are faced with impossible choices. In the current context, where the demand for carers is escalating, the Productivity Commission is examining ways to incentivise informal care by exploring an extension of unpaid carer leave. While its examination mainly relates to care for older people, QAMH have argued for a broadening of this to include all carers, in particular those who care for people with mental illness.