‘Eight in 10 unpaid carers have had no respite’ since start of pandemic The report comes as Holyrood considers whether to double the Carer’s Allowance Supplement (PA) More than eight out of 10 unpaid carers say they have had “no respite” since the beginning of the pandemic, research indicates. Pressures also hit care service workers – who support unpaid carers – with more than three quarters (76%) dealing with an increased workload since the beginning of last year, according to Carers Trust Scotland. The charity said lockdowns and restrictions meant many unpaid carers could not split responsibilities with family or friends, compounded by supplementary support services either being stopped or scaled back.