Crynant mum who gave up job to care for disabled daughter 'can't afford breakfast'

A mum who gave up work to care for her disabled daughter who needs constant supervision says unpaid carers feel "used" and have to "fight for everything". Michelle Rees, 45, from Crynant, Neath Port Talbot, said the carer's allowance she received left her unable to afford to eat breakfast. A Senedd health and social care committee report found more than 300,000 people in Wales provided unpaid care, but there had been "little improvement" for them since 2019. The Welsh government said it "highly valued" the role unpaid carers played and "recognised the pressures many experience", while the UK government said its support measures included raising the carer's allowance earnings limit. An unpaid carer is anyone who cares for a friend or relative who could not cope without their support, but does not receive a professional salary. The Senedd committee's report found 310,000 people in Wales – or one in 11 - provided unpaid care as of March 2024, but only 4,924 had a support plan in place. Some carers waited months for an assessment with no services available at the end of the process, the report added. It made 35 recommendations to the incoming Welsh government, including making it easie