Who provides informal care?
Statistics on who provides informal care in the UK, as well as their employment, incomes and earnings
Table of contents
Overview
The Department of Health and Social Care has described an informal/unpaid carer (PDF) as: “…someone who provides unpaid help to a friend or family member needing support, perhaps due to illness, older age, disability, a mental health condition or an addiction”, as long as they are not employed to do so.
The Family Resources Survey estimated that in 2022/23 around 8% of the UK population were providing informal care and in a House of Commons debate on unpaid care on 3 September 2024, it was explained the economic value of unpaid care is £162 billion a year in England and Wales, £13.1 billion in Scotland and £5.8 billion in Northern Ireland.
The following briefings set out who provides informal care around the UK, as well as the support available them.
Informal care around the UK
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Informal carers health and wellbeing
Informal and unpaid carers provide vital support for many people with health and social care needs. However, there is growing evidence that the demands of caring are increasingly impacting carers’ own physical and mental health.
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Informal carers' employment rights and support
An overview of the employment rights and support available to informal carers, and public policy reviews on this topic in recent years.
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Local authority support for informal carers
Information on local authority support for unpaid carers in England, including young carers and parent carers of disabled children.
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Young carers in education
A short briefing looking at the educational experiences of young carers
