Families stepping in to provide care for dementia sufferers saves the UK around £11.6 billion every year, a report released by Alzheimer’s Research UK has revealed.

The report hopes to expose the needs of the near 700,000 people in the UK who care for someone living with dementia.

“Increasingly, families are stepping in to provide care for people with dementia which was once provided by the state. Their dedication saves the UK around £11.6 billion every year, without them our health and social care system would cease to function,” said George McNamara, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Society, responding to the report.

“This report helps to bring carers’ needs and the challenges they face into focus. However, we also need to ensure that tailored advice, information and support are ready and waiting for them. Alzheimer’s Society is calling for everyone who cares for someone with dementia to have a full carer’s assessment from their local authority and access to a Dementia Advisor.”

Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 850,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia. In less than ten years a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to two million people by 2051.

“Caring for someone living with dementia is unlike caring for a person with any other condition, often at great personal cost. Thousands of carers are reaching crisis point and are in desperate need of support. The Government has a clear obligation to respond,” added McNamara.

225,000 will develop dementia this year, which equates to one diagnosis every three minutes.