About Carers Week
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. Carers Week is led by Carers UK with the support of a number of other charities.
Carers Week 2024
The theme for Carers Week 2024 is 'Putting carers on the map'.
This year we want to galvanize activity in a general election year, to highlight the increasing pressures carers and to campaign for much-needed recognition and support.
This includes raising awareness about the challenges carers face which impact on their finances, employment, health and wellbeing and ensuring policymakers and politicians take steps to better support carers’ needs.
The No choice but to care report, published on the first day of Carers Week 2024 found that 62% of those who are currently providing or those who have previously provided unpaid care said that they had no choice in taking on the role because no other care options were available – this is around 10 million adults.
While caring can be rewarding, the impact of providing unpaid care has been more negative than positive for all areas current and former unpaid carers were asked about, particularly for mental health (63%), physical health (53%), Job and ability to work (48%) and finances and savings (47%). The negative impacts as a result of caring were also felt most strongly by those who had no choice but to take on an unpaid caring role as well as women and those aged 45-54.
Ahead of the UK General Election, the research also found that 73% of members of the public surveyed for the research think that unpaid carers should receive more support from the next Government, particularly financial support and investment in social care.
Helen Walker, chief executive at Carers UK said:
“These findings demonstrate how caring can have a profound effect on every aspect of life and wellbeing, from mental and physical health, being able to work, or affecting their future income including pensions. That’s why we need to see a future Government deliver action across Government, in the form of a National Carers Strategy. With an ageing population, this is becoming ever more important.
“Carers Week is an important annual opportunity to ‘put carers on the map’. We want unpaid carers to know they are not forgotten, and they are not alone. Many are at breaking point, facing huge challenges with their caring responsibilities. On top of this they are struggling to manage their own health and wellbeing. Carers are worried about their long-term health, security and ability to care in the future.”
Get involved
We all have a role to play in recognising and supporting carers in the community, whether it's by providing support to a member of your local community group or connecting with a family member or friend who is caring for someone.
You can find out more about Carers Week and how to get involved at carersweek.org
Carers Week's 2023 campaign: Cross-Government action to identify and support carers
Millions of people across the UK care unpaid for family and friends who have a disability, illness, mental health condition or need extra help as they grow older. Their support is crucial, but often comes at a cost to their health and financial resilience.
In many cases, unpaid carers aren’t supported to recognise their caring role quickly enough, meaning they miss out on the financial, practical and emotional support available. This intensifies the impact of providing care, with carers missing out on benefits and entitlements, while others are forced to give up work altogether.
We need a whole system approach to identifying and supporting unpaid carers. Governments, local authorities, commissioners and providers, employers, and family and friends must play their part in identifying and supporting them. Carers Week is a vital opportunity to raise awareness of unpaid carers within our communities.
The charities supporting Carers Week 2023 called on the UK Government to deliver coordinated cross-Government action to better identify and support unpaid carers. This action would focus on helping carers to stay in or return to work, prevent poverty, combat loneliness, improve carers’ health and wellbeing and improve equality of opportunity.