Over 1 million unpaid carers living in poverty

More than a million unpaid carers in the UK are living in poverty, a report by Carers UK and WPI Economics has revealed.

While carers are often applauded for the sacrifices they make by looking after people in need, there’s a lack of support for those struggling to make ends meet.  

Many carers aren’t able to hold down jobs due to long caring hours and are forced to rely on income-related benefits to get by.

The study found that 1.2 million unpaid carers live in poverty, with 1 in 10 (400,000) living in deep poverty. It also found that:

• carers aged 25-44 are most likely to be in poverty compared to any other age group
• two-thirds of unpaid carers who claim universal credit live in poverty – that’s around 900,000 carers.

On top of this, unpaid carers are 50% more likely to be in poverty than for those who don’t provide care, with women and people from ethnic minorities most affected.

Lifting carers out of poverty

Unpaid carers have been particularly hit by the cost-of-living crisis. Last year, a survey by Carers UK found that one in three had cut back on essential costs, and a fifth were finding it hard to afford food.

The researchers found that immediately increasing the carer element of universal credit and carer addition pension credit by £11.10 a month would life 30,000 people out of poverty and 40,000 people out of deep poverty.

They also called for a full review of carer’s allowance to make sure it adequately supports unpaid carers.

What help can I get as a carer?

Depending on your situation, if you’re spending a lot of time looking after someone, you might be able to get a range of benefits, including:

• carer’s allowance
• carer’s credit
• carer premium
• universal credit
• pension credit
• disability living allowance for children

Find out more about what financial help you might be eligible for in our guide on benefits for carers.

Struggling to make ends meet?

If you’re a carer and you’re struggling to make ends meet, don’t feel like you have to battle on alone.

You can access our help online or over the phone. We offer free and impartial advice and can help with:

• making sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to
• seeing if you’re eligible for any grants
• creating a realistic budget you can stick to
• advising you on debt solutions, which could reduce your monthly payments and even write off some of what you owe

Some debt solutions are also free. For others, there’s a fee.