The number of full-time unpaid carers in England—those providing 35 or more hours of care per week—has surged by over 70% in two decades, reaching 1.9 million in 2023/24.
This increase coincides with a 15% rise in requests for adult social care, yet the number of people receiving support has grown by only 2.5%, according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The IPPR report criticizes the over-reliance on unpaid carers—predominantly women—and calls for urgent reform.
Recommendations include a fair funding model for care, improved pay and conditions for care workers, and enhanced support for unpaid carers through workplace rights, income protection, and paid care leave.
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to support families and address the care crisis.
‘The answers to the care crisis can’t just be about tinkering with the formal systems of childcare and social care as they exist today. We need to take a step back as a country and ask some more fundamental questions about how we can better support families,’ he said.
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