Will the government’s new ten-year plan for healthcare tackle the urgent problem of “shockingly” high levels of poverty suffered by thousands of unpaid carers looking after family members or friends who are older, disabled or seriously ill?
According to a new report from Carers UK, unpaid carers are much more likely to experience financial hardship, with the rate of poverty 50% higher for those looking after someone compared to those who do not provide unpaid care.
The report, in collaboration with WPI Economics and funded by the Financial Fairness Trust, shows that a further 400,000 – nearly one in ten of all carers – live in deep poverty, when the resources they have available are so scarce it places them more than 50% below the poverty line.
At £81.90 a week, Carer’s Allowance, the main social security benefit for unpaid carers, is one of the lowest benefits of its kind. The report shows that half a million carers receiving the allowance live in poverty. Some 900,000 unpaid carers receiving means tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, find themselves in poverty.
Carers feel undervalued
Unpaid carers contribute a staggering £162 billion to the economy each year, but despite the immense value that they bring, many feel undervalued, underappreciated and say that they need further support.
Carers UK is calling for increases of between £11.10 and £36.30 to the various benefits unpaid carers can claim, and for the government to conduct a full review of the Carer’s Allowance.
Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said:
“It’s deeply disturbing and shocking to see the numbers showing that millions of unpaid carers are living in poverty. Every day across the UK, the care they provide helps to hold society together. Yet so many pay an extremely heavy price with caring leaving them in or at risk of poverty and financial hardship. It’s simply unacceptable.”
She continued: “Relatively small increases to support can have a big impact on carers’ lives and lift hundreds of thousands out of poverty.
“There’s a real opportunity for Government to show they care about carers and help deliver its growth and employment agenda by keeping carers in work, or by providing the right conditions for them to return to work.”
In conclusion, Holzhausen says: “a review of the Carer’s Allowance, including its processes, is long overdue. We need a modern benefits system to fit the changing needs of carers and society.”
Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at the Financial Fairness Trust, adds: “The care system would collapse without the vital people who provide unpaid care. It’s not right that those who provide essential services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society are living in poverty.”
A different approach is needed
The Lord Darzi report (section 4, p 74) states that in 2024, 4.7 million people were unpaid carers in England, 1.4 million of whom provided more than 50 hours of care each week. Some 6.3% of women aged over 85 and 2.9% of women aged over 90 care for somebody. Many carers struggle with their own health, with 28% having a disability and 7% reporting that their health was bad or very bad.
In his recent review of the health and care system, Lord Darzi said that: “All too often, unpaid carers received no recognition or support from the NHS. Instead, they feel invisible, misunderstood and unsupported despite their huge contribution.”
He asserts: “A fresh approach is needed which regards unpaid carers both as people with their own needs where caring is a significant factor in their lives, but also as a provider of care who should be treated as an equal partner. The current paradigm leads to poorer outcomes for those needing care, for carers, and for the health service. A different approach is needed.”
Responding to Lord Darzi’s report, the Carers Trust’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Ramzi Suleiman, said: “This scathing report will come as no surprise to millions of unpaid carers who have been left to plug ever larger gaps in our health and social care system. So we welcome his recognition of carers’ vital role within health and social care and call for a different approach to supporting them within the NHS.
“You cannot talk about the importance of care closer to home without involving unpaid carers. But carers have already been pushed to their limit and any NHS reform must recognise that and work for them.”
