The aim of this study is to estimate a monetary value for the potential taxpayer benefits if all parents providing palliative care for their children were able to access short breaks. We draw on existing evidence to quantify the impact of short breaks on clinical measures of parent stress and then link this reduction in stress to taxpayer benefits through three key channels:
• Improved physical health: Reduced stress leads to improved physical health among carer parents, which in turn leads to reduced number of general practitioner (GP) visits and cost-savings to the health system.
• Improved mental health: Reduced stress leads to improved mental health among carer parents, which in turn reduces the use of mental health services and the associated costs.
• Improved work attendance: Improved work attendance can be measured in reduced number of sick days taken, which lead to increased productivity and tax revenue.
Our focus on how short breaks reduce costs to public services as a result of stress reduction means that we are likely to underestimate the full scale of the benefits to society.
This report is the product of a collaboration between Pro Bono Economics and Compass Lexecon.