General Election

General Election 2024: a manifesto for unpaid carers

In the lead up to the 2024 General Election, Carers UK produced a manifesto for carers, calling on all political parties to commit to a new social contract for carers to recognise the enormous contribution millions of people make each day by providing the unpaid care that their families and friends need.

The new Government must do much more to ensure that every carer has the financial, practical and workplace support they need, over the next five years and beyond.

Through our engagement with thousands of unpaid carers and our wider research and policy work, Carers UK has identified six thematic areas where we want to see all political parties commit to significant and meaningful policies to transform the lives of millions of carers:

• Supporting carers’ health and wellbeing 
• Preventing financial hardship 
• Better identification and recognition 
• Improving care and support 
• Support to juggle work and care 
• Equality for carers 

We are also calling for the development of a new, ambitious and comprehensive National Carers Strategy to transform the way Government supports carers over the next 10 years.

The new Government must:

1. Reform Carer’s Allowance and other social security payments for carers.
2. Deliver a new, ambitious and funded cross Government National Carers Strategy.
3. Invest in carers’ breaks and respite services, and legislate so all carers have a right to a break in England.
4. Make the NHS the most carer-friendly health service in the world, with new rights and practical support.
5. Introduce a statutory right to two weeks of paid Carer’s Leave for working carers.
6. Recognise caring as the 10th protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
7. Provide sustainable funding and investment in social care services.
8. Support carers to manage their health and wellbeing.

 

Read the manifesto

Download our summary version of the manifesto

Campaign with us

Carers UK campaigned hard in the run up to the General Election to ensure all political parties commit to policies that will improve the support carers receive.

Now that the General Election has happened, we will work with the new Government to ensure that unpaid carers are properly recognised and have the financial, practical and workplace support they need. You can now get in touch with your newly elected MP to ask for their support for unpaid carers. Feel free to include a copy of our manifesto in your correspondence. You can find your MP and their contact details on the parliament website: members.parliament.uk/members/commons

See our open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by 10,611 people, which we delivered to 10 Downing Street on 15 August 2024.

Read our open letter

Read our manifesto for unpaid carers.

Download the manifesto