Carer Poverty Coalition

The Carer Poverty Coalition, formed in February 2023, is made up of over 130 national and local organisations.

Collectively, we are campaigning to:

• End poverty amongst carers by advocating for policy change that adequately values, recognises and supports unpaid carers
• Reform the benefits system to better support carers financially in the short and long term
• Bring in better systems to support carers to continue with paid work
• Build awareness of carer poverty and the impact of the cost of living crisis on unpaid carers with Government, parliamentarians, decision makers and the general public

 

Carer Poverty Coalition manifesto

Read our 2024 Manifesto, which outlines our asks of Government ahead of the General Election. 

 

What is carer poverty?

Every day across the UK, the work of unpaid carers helps hold society together – an invisible network of support, empathy and care for those who need it most. However, providing care to family and friends limits carers’ ability to earn a full income and adds extra costs that they would not otherwise have. Too often, due to a lack of recognition and support, unpaid carers end up falling into poverty or find themselves in precarious financial positions as a result of their caring role.

This is particularly true of carers who care for more than 35 hours a week and those who provide unpaid care over longer periods of time. Carers UK State of Caring survey 2023 found that 30% of carers are struggling to make ends meet, while 1 in 3 have had to cut back on essentials like food and heating. Financial difficulties also have a significant impact on carers’ physical and mental health and often increase their own need for treatment and support in order to cope.

There is a clear moral as well as economic argument for supporting unpaid carers to live on a decent level of income and for supporting those able to continue with paid work whilst caring. Better support for carers to stay in work has clear benefits to the wider economy by improving productivity and reducing unemployment. The value of unpaid care is estimated to be a staggering £162 billion per year in England and Wales alone. This is a huge contribution to the NHS, social care and to society as a whole.

Unpaid carers also provide a vital human connection needed for older people to thrive and enable people with disabilities and long-term illnesses to lead dignified, independent lives.

 

Our media responses:

Spring Budget fails to support millions of unpaid carers living in poverty, says Carer Poverty Coalition – 6 March 2024

Carer Poverty Coalition responds to Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – 22 November 2023

Carer Poverty Coalition responds to the Chancellor's Spring Budget – 15 March 2023

New coalition to end carer poverty launches – 14 February 2023

Our campaigns

Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Carers UK and 50 other members of the Carer Poverty Coalition wrote an open letter to the Chancellor on 15 November 2023, calling for more financial support for carers. See our open letter here

Carer Poverty Coalition Manifesto

Read our 2024 Manifesto, which outlines our asks of Government ahead of the General Election. 

Read it here

To find out more about the coalition or to join, please get in touch using the address below.

carerpovertycoalition@carersuk.org