Unpaid carers need to be better supported so that they don’t end up leaving their jobs - Ismail Mulla

Carers UK said its polling suggested the proportion of people having to give up work to care for someone has risen slightly since pre-pandemic levels. It estimates that more than 1,500 carers a day across the UK are quitting their jobs to look after a loved one.

The charity rightly calls the situation “deeply worrying”. Especially as more people are also now juggling a job with caring responsibilities.

At a time when businesses are crying out for talent,losing experienced staff is not ideal. And there will be a number of young people who have silently shouldered care duties, exacerbating the Neet (young people not in education, employment or training) figure.

The Carers UK survey found that one in five workers were having to manage their jobs alongside being an unpaid carer, up from 15 per cent in 2019.

While 5 per cent of respondents in 2019 said they had given up their job completely to care for a family member or friend who is older, disabled or seriously ill, this stood at 6 per cent for the latest survey.

It is estimated that there are now 11 million people providing unpaid care and the proportion leaving work to care equates to an estimated 3.33 million people, with around 1.1 million doing so in the past two years. That is not an insignificant amount.

The Department for Business and Trade said unpaid carers feeling forced to cut their working hours, delay returning to work or quitting altogether costs the economy an estimated £37bn a year.

This is worrying on a number of fronts. Firstly, it suggests that the pressures are increasing on unpaid carers and juggling work and their care duties is becoming unsustainable.

Secondly, it suggests that not enough is being done to support unpaid carers both at work or away from work.

In April 2024, a legal entitlement to unpaid leave for carers came into effect for England, Wales and Scotland. Since then, employees who are carers for a dependant have been entitled to up to a week of unpaid leave every 12 months – equating to five days for most people.

However, that is clearly not enough. A week might buy an unpaid carer some breathing room but that relief is only temporary.

In June, the Government launched a consultation, proposing the introduction of paid carer’s leave with a new “right to return” to work for carers similar to mothers coming back after maternity leave and new guidance for workers and employers on protections carers have in the workplace.

That would be an important step towards acknowledging unpaid carers and ensuring that their careers do not unnecessarily suffer.

At a time when the social care system is on the canvas it is important to recognise the importance of unpaid carers. Without them the NHS would be under even more pressure. And that comes with a financial cost. Costs that will only increase with an aging population. It’s another reminder of the need to grasp the nettle when it comes to social care reform.

But in the absence of a fully functioning national care system and an economy on its knees, unpaid carers need all the support that they can get.

These aren’t work-shy scroungers using excuses. Rather they are the embodiment of selflessness. It should not fall on just the Government to ensure that they get the support that they deserve. Instead of waiting for regulation businesses should look at where they can build in flexibility for those who are carrying out unpaid care duties.

Reasonable adjustments should be made where possible such as allowing them to change their work patterns.

If anything, just having a conversation with unpaid carers in their workforce could lead to a boost for the employer. Imagine someone who has quietly gone about looking after a loved one all of a sudden, feeling seen and heard. It’s the sort of empathy that elicits loyalty, trust and even productivity.