One million. That’s the number of additional unpaid carers set to emerge in the UK over the next ten years, according to the latest analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). As care needs grow and evolve, and formal care services face intensifying demand, more people than ever will be turning to friends and family for their care needs. As the JRF report rightly signifies, unpaid carers are critical to the survival of our social care system. But they are being failed by a severe lack of acknowledgement, resource and support. With their number about to grow significantly, this needs to change, and fast.
The problem is rooted in a lack of appreciation for the contribution unpaid carers make. According to the JRF report, more than half of those over the age of 65 who are in need of health or social support are only receiving informal care. And this number is set to rise.
Many of the unpaid carers providing this support are doing so because they want to. But this doesn’t negate the weight of responsibility that caring can bring, nor the impact – both financial and personal – it can have on people’s lives. Without consistent, structured and targeted support, unpaid carers are being left to grapple with this responsibility alone, leading many down a fast-track route to burnout.
It is a reality we cannot afford to let continue. For the millions of hard-working people providing unpaid care to loved ones, the absence of support is compounding the pressures they face and making it harder for them to continue caring. Meanwhile, without unpaid carers, the wider social care system simply cannot cope with growing care demand. It’s no surprise that, according to the Nuffield Trust, a lack of support for unpaid carers is one of the top reasons for public dissatisfaction with social care. Change is desperately needed to increase the level, consistency and accessibility of support available to this vital group.
Ending the divisive two-tier ranking of unpaid care
The way carers are categorised has a key role to play. Unpaid carers are often too hastily separated into two distinct groups: “low-intensity” (those caring for under ten hours a week) and “high-intensity” (those caring for less than ten hours a week). But this is inadvertently having a significantly harmful effect. Too often, formal support – whether this be financial aid, respite care or emotional support – is reserved solely for those deemed to be “high-intensity” carers. Meanwhile, the millions categorised as “low intensity” carers face much higher barriers to support and are often left to fend for themselves.
Caring is caring. Whether it’s checking in on a relative for a couple of hours each week and supporting them with tasks that they are unable to complete alone, or managing more frequent caring responsibilities alongside full-time work or parenting; this is all time, energy and emotion. It is also all playing a vital role in supporting the wider social care system and relieving pressure on formal care services. Every single person providing unpaid care – no matter the supposed intensity – needs and deserves access to a full range of support and resources.
Harnessing technology to deliver carer support at scale
Delivering this level of support at scale is, of course, no easy feat. We need to innovate and find new ways to reach and connect with this growing community of carers. Leveraging new technologies – including AI – is essential. With the right digital tools we can empower millions of unpaid carers with direct access to on-demand advice, support and community. This can lift some of the pressure from traditional, in-person support services, while simultaneously helping connect a higher number of carers with support.
As demand for informal care continues to rise, we also need to be able to identify all those stepping into an unpaid care role for the first time. There are already estimated to be millions of hidden unpaid carers across the UK, who are unknown to formal support services. We see this first-hand at Mobilise: 80% of the people who join our carer support community have never accessed help before. Prioritising the creation of more dedicated, comprehensive, and tech-enabled support services, which increase accessibility and boost engagement, is essential to ensure we’re able to identify carers sooner and give them the support they need to thrive.
