Are you a carer?

Sometimes, we just don’t recognise ourselves as carers. It can take a long while for us to even accept that we are unpaid carers.

What do we mean by ‘carer’?

  • Generally, a carer is anyone who provides unpaid help, practical and emotional support to a partner, relative, friend or neighbour who is seriously ill, disabled, unable to cope alone or experiencing alcohol or addiction issues.

  • Carers may or may not live with the person they care for.

  • A person may have more than one carer.

  • A carer might care for more than one person.

Carers UK logo in lowercase font with Carers in dark grey and UK in red.

Each year, more than 4.3 million people in the UK become new unpaid carers for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives.

  • More than 1.9 million are in paid employment

  • 2.3 million new carers are women

  • 2 million new carers are men

  • 4 million carers end their unpaid carer roles

  • Two thirds of the UK adult population are unpaid carers

    Carer’s UK University of Sheffield analysis of data 2010-2020 published 23.11.22

Some of us choose to become carers out of a sense of love, moral obligation or religion. Some of us cannot find alternative care solutions. For some, it is the only financially viable option.

However you ended up becoming an unpaid carer, it is important that you recognise that you are an unpaid carer in order to access available support and look after yourself too.