More than two thirds of family carers are struggling with their mental health because of social care support cuts.
Hundreds of parents and family members have had to take on additional caring responsibilities as their essential support was cut during the pandemic often with little or no notice.
And 75 per cent of family carers believe the Government has not prioritised the needs of disabled people and their families during the pandemic, according to research from national disability charity Sense.
Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has called on ministers to “fix the stalling vaccination programme, resolve the immediate crisis in social care and bring forward a long-term plan to recruit the health care staff our NHS now desperately needs.”
Mum of three Nicola Slator, from Keighley West Yorkshire, is a carer for her 20-year-old Rebecca who is deaf, has autism and wears a tracheostomy.
When the nation went into lockdown, Rebecca could not go to school and their care company reduced their care.
Nicola said: “The pandemic was handled shockingly; disabled people and their families were ignored.
"There was no plan for what families like mine should do. We need to not be an afterthought; our voices and stories must be heard in this inquiry.
"I know that some disabled children and young adults are still not back at school 18 months later, the government are not supporting us in the way we need them to.”
The Chancellor promised to give £5.4billion towards the social care sector, over a period of three years. Within that, £500million will be spent on bolstering the sector's dwindling workforce.
But it's already been noted that this is not enough to help families struggling with care, and support costs.
Claire Reece, 41, from St Neots in Cambridgeshire, cares for her 12-year-old Hugo, who has CHARGE syndrome, which means he is deaf-blind and has respiratory problems.
Hugo and his family had to shield during the pandemic and since March 2020 Hugo’s external care support has still not been fully reinstated.
She told the Mirror: “I relied on overnight care because I was not getting any sleep, Hugo needs 24 hour support. Since the pandemic, I’ve had to do it alone.
"We are not free at the moment, we are constantly looking over our shoulder and nervous that Hugo will catch Covid.
"The government did not and still does not take into consideration how many families and individuals are still scared and suffering out there.”
Disabled charity Sense calling on disabled people and their families to be put at the heart of next year’s inquiry into the UK’s handling of Covid-19, has already passed 13 thousand signatures.
The charity is also calling for the inquiry to hold a section to investigate the impact of Covid 19 on disabled people and their families, with them being invited to contribute evidence.
And have called on Mr Sunak to ring-fence a portion of the social care funding for disabled adults and children.
It has already been noted that millions of unpaid carers are struggling to cope with the extra demand Covid has put on social care services.
Carers UK found more than half of unpaid carers who used to rely on crucial day services, no longer have access to care support.
And only 13% have said they will get the support they need in the next year.
But in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, the CQC confirms fears that social care providers are facing a staffing crisis.
Across England, numbers of unfilled jobs are rising month on month, the researchers found, from 6% in April to more than 10% in September.
