Almost a million more unpaid carers in the next 10 years, charity estimates

By Aine Fox, Reporter22nd August 2024News EnglandCarers, Kinship Care, News England

Almost a million more people could have unpaid caring responsibilities across the UK in the next decade, according to an estimate by a charity which described the situation as a “crisis of care”.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the approximate 10% rise by 2035 will likely be accompanied by a rise in unmet care needs due to an increasing proportion of over-65s in the population.

The social change organisation said its forecasts show that “without a change in direction, rising care needs risk overwhelming our outdated and fragmented systems”.

In its report, published on Thursday, JRF said if the number of unpaid carers rises in line with population growth, by 2035 there would be an extra 400,000 people in the UK caring for the elderly, sick and disabled for 10 or more hours per week.

This projection is an 11.3% increase compared to current figures, and of the new carers, 130,000 will be of working age, JRF said.

The analysis suggested that including those caring for fewer than 10 hours per week would see the figure for additional unpaid carers rise to 990,000, which is a 10.6% increase compared to now.

The JRF said a taskforce should be set up to address the changing and growing need, with various Government departments working together to tackle the issues.

Labour has pledged to develop a National Care Service, and JRF said this must be linked to increased support for informal carers, such as more generous carer benefits and paid care leave.

It said the benefits system should provide carers with the “resources and dignity to do the job well”, that people should be able to work and care through flexible working or paid care leave, and that social networks must be strengthened so people can “more readily give and access ‘ad hoc’ support”.

Abby Jitendra (pictured), JRF principal policy adviser for care, family and relationships said: “In the next 10 years the UK faces a crisis of care as we get older and live with illness for longer.

“Our already strained paid care system is unfit to meet growing and changing care needs. On top of that, a million more of us will be caring despite inadequate support which leaves unpaid carers at a higher risk of poverty.

“Government should set up a Future Care Needs taskforce to plan cross-governmental action to meet the rising tide of care needs, improving paid care services while making it easier for people to care themselves through benefits support and paid leave.

“This will give people real choice, as care needs grow, over how to meet theirs or their loved one’s care needs.”

The Government said it recognises the important role unpaid carers have and is committed to ensuring they are supported, adding that more details on its overall plan for adult social care will be set out in due course.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is clear the adult social care system is broken, and we are determined to tackle this head-on.

“We will engage widely with a range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience, to inform our plans to create a sustainable National Care Service and are committed to ensuring a professional, well-supported social care workforce is able to provide personalised and accessible care to all those who draw on it as demand increases.”