Millions of unpaid carers to get recognition and earlier support
- Unpaid carers will be identified earlier and connected to support sooner under a new action plan
- A cross-government plan will improve recognition of unpaid carers, referring them to services and helping them access health services and employment and education support
- The government is building a system that recognises and supports unpaid carers, as a crucial part of its plans for a national care service.
Millions of unpaid carers in England will be better recognised, referred to support and helped to reach their full potential, under a new cross-government action plan published today (14 July 2026).
Nearly one in 10 people in England is an unpaid carer - providing an invaluable service in society looking after family members, friends or loved ones.
However, unpaid carers can experience challenges with keeping up careers or education, looking after their own health - including loneliness and isolation - and difficulties in taking breaks away from caring.
The action plan is underpinned by 3 central pillars:
- recognising our carers
- referring them to services
- helping them reach their potential
Recognising includes making sure they are identified early, particularly young carers. Unpaid carers can then be referred to the support they need whether it’s financial (such as the Carer’s Allowance), employment support (such as Carer’s Leave and flexible working) or health and social care services. Support also includes helping them to reach their potential or remain in work or education, so they can have fulfilling lives beyond their caring responsibilities.
The government’s Unpaid carers action plan: recognise, refer, reach contains 42 clear actions and sets out practical steps across health, social care, education, employment and social security to improve support for unpaid carers.
The main measures of the plan include:
- unpaid carers registering their role on the NHS App so health professionals can clearly see they are a carer and involving them in care planning and referring them to the right support
- the single patient record will mean all health and care providers will have the same information for a person - meaning unpaid carers will no longer need to repeat the same information about the person they care for, while helping them manage appointments and prescriptions
- unpaid carers information page on GOV.UK putting clear guidance from health, social care, employment and benefits in one place for the first time - launching this summer
- a ‘carers’ charter’ to be published, setting out the carer’s rights and entitlements
- the government will require employers with more than 250 workers to improve the support for unpaid carers from spring 2027 so they can continue in their careers while carrying out their caring responsibilities
- carers to be central to hospital discharge planning, under reforms to the Better Care Fund
- young carers will be identified quicker and better supported so they can stay in education without falling behind at school. Schools will be held accountable by data on young carers’ attendances alongside secure information sharing about young carers across services, so they are supported.
The action plan follows the steps the government has already taken to support unpaid carers including raising the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit by more than £2,750 in 2 years, the largest increase since the 1970s. Alongside this, Universal Credit and Pension Credit provide an additional £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition.
The Department for Business and Trade has also launched a consultation on employment rights and carer’s leave, with proposals to introduce paid carer’s leave and a right to return to work following a period of intensive caring.
Baroness Casey’s independent commission on adult social care is underway, which includes exploring the needs of unpaid carers, as part of our first steps towards a national care service. The commission’s initial recommendations are due this year.
