The Inquiry was established to examine the costs of caring and the impact of the Welfare Reform Act and to influence future policy on supporting carers.The Inquiry findings cover four key areas: the costs of caring; caring and work; carers' benefits; and the impact of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. The evidence from the Inquiry shows an increasingly divergent picture of families’ increasing contribution in unpaid care and diminishing support from Government. As the number of carers, the amount of care they provide and the disadvantage they face continue to grow, the support carers receive from benefits and social care is either failing to keep pace or being reduced.