Dear Father Christmas,

I haven’t written to you since I was 6 or 7 years old. I disproved your existence with basic maths and some carrots – long story.
I’m writing to you in the hope my maths was wrong. I’ve been very good this year, I have done everything everyone has asked of me and spent another year of my life devoted to caring for my grandmother (she won’t be sending you a list – I’ve already got her what she wanted).

I’d like to share my list of Christmas wishes with you to see if you would be able to help with any of them. They’re not things as such, more societal and political changes. I’m not sure the elves do those sorts of things?

Please find my carer’s Christmas list below:

• I’d very much like for the UK government to produce a national strategy for unpaid carers. They class us as volunteers so they don’t have to deal with us. We’re not. We’re prisoners of a broken health and social care system.
• I would like an increase to the Carer’s Allowance. The current £76 a week is laughably low. I would also like for there to be more financial help for unpaid carers who are often pushed into poverty for doing what the government should.
• I would like the government and local councils to hire more carers, social workers, and district nurses so we can all get the support we need.
• Please could competent people run the NHS? 162 BILLION pounds is a lot of money to waste on mismanaging a system. Perhaps a few of your elves could be seconded? With all the presents to create and deliver across the world, they must know how to run an organisation efficiently.
• I would like more information and interest around the challenges unpaid carers face to be in the mainstream media. A lot of people are struggling with caring duties and don’t know where to get help. Or indeed, that they have a ‘title’ as an unpaid carer.
• I would like there to be more doctors and nurses. And please can they be well paid and have good working conditions?
• I would like everyone in the UK to realise that they fall into one of three categories of people – unpaid carers; soon-to-be-unpaid carers; or the person needing care. I would then like them to plan accordingly.
• A bit niche but I would like compression socks that are easy to put on – that one is for grandma.
• I would like us all to care a bit more about each other. To look out for the people around them.
• I would like for my anxiety to go away.

Thank you for reading my list, I know this is a lot. Your help with any of those items would be greatly appreciated.

P.S: I would also like a puppy or a pony… if you have time after you’ve dealt with all of the above.