The Government is preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers, to improve how unpaid carers are recognised, how support is offered, and how they can be helped to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives.

Through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess carers’ needs and, where eligible needs are identified, to provide support to help carers maintain their wellbeing. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

Any carers experiencing challenges with their mental health can seek support from their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. In addition, anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time of the day, through the mental health option on NHS 111.

While caring can be deeply rewarding, we know that pressures arising from it can affect a carer’s financial stability. The Government is spending record amounts on supporting unpaid carers through the benefits system. This includes forecast spending of £4.6 billion in 2025/26 to over one million unpaid carers receiving Carer’s Allowance. The rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, to £86.45 a week in 2026/27. And in April 2025, the Government raised the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit by a record amount, and it increased again to £204 net earnings a week for 2026/27. This enables unpaid carers to earn more through paid work and still keep Carer’s Allowance.

The Government also provides support to unpaid carers through income-related benefits, which can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities. Universal Credit and Pension Credit pay an extra £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition respectively.

In addition, the Government is reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and looking at where any improvements may be needed to ensure that employment rights for unpaid carers are fit for the modern world of work. This includes a public consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, which was launched on 9 June 2026. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-employment-rights-for-unpaid-carers-and-parents-of-seriously-ill-children

The Government is preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers, to improve how unpaid carers are recognised, how support is offered, and how they can be helped to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives.

Through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess carers’ needs and, where eligible needs are identified, to provide support to help carers maintain their wellbeing. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

Any carers experiencing challenges with their mental health can seek support from their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. In addition, anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time of the day, through the mental health option on NHS 111.

While caring can be deeply rewarding, we know that pressures arising from it can affect a carer’s financial stability. The Government is spending record amounts on supporting unpaid carers through the benefits system. This includes forecast spending of £4.6 billion in 2025/26 to over one million unpaid carers receiving Carer’s Allowance. The rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, to £86.45 a week in 2026/27. And in April 2025, the Government raised the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit by a record amount, and it increased again to £204 net earnings a week for 2026/27. This enables unpaid carers to earn more through paid work and still keep Carer’s Allowance.

The Government also provides support to unpaid carers through income-related benefits, which can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities. Universal Credit and Pension Credit pay an extra £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition respectively.

In addition, the Government is reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and looking at where any improvements may be needed to ensure that employment rights for unpaid carers are fit for the modern world of work. This includes a public consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, which was launched on 9 June 2026. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-employment-rights-for-unpaid-carers-and-parents-of-seriously-ill-children

The Government is preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers, to improve how unpaid carers are recognised, how support is offered, and how they can be helped to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives.

Through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess carers’ needs and, where eligible needs are identified, to provide support to help carers maintain their wellbeing. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

Any carers experiencing challenges with their mental health can seek support from their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. In addition, anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time of the day, through the mental health option on NHS 111.

While caring can be deeply rewarding, we know that pressures arising from it can affect a carer’s financial stability. The Government is spending record amounts on supporting unpaid carers through the benefits system. This includes forecast spending of £4.6 billion in 2025/26 to over one million unpaid carers receiving Carer’s Allowance. The rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, to £86.45 a week in 2026/27. And in April 2025, the Government raised the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit by a record amount, and it increased again to £204 net earnings a week for 2026/27. This enables unpaid carers to earn more through paid work and still keep Carer’s Allowance.

The Government also provides support to unpaid carers through income-related benefits, which can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities. Universal Credit and Pension Credit pay an extra £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition respectively.

In addition, the Government is reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and looking at where any improvements may be needed to ensure that employment rights for unpaid carers are fit for the modern world of work. This includes a public consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, which was launched on 9 June 2026. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-employment-rights-for-unpaid-carers-and-parents-of-seriously-ill-children

The Government is preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers, to improve how unpaid carers are recognised, how support is offered, and how they can be helped to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives.

Through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to assess carers’ needs and, where eligible needs are identified, to provide support to help carers maintain their wellbeing. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

Any carers experiencing challenges with their mental health can seek support from their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service. In addition, anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now speak to a trained National Health Service professional at any time of the day, through the mental health option on NHS 111.

While caring can be deeply rewarding, we know that pressures arising from it can affect a carer’s financial stability. The Government is spending record amounts on supporting unpaid carers through the benefits system. This includes forecast spending of £4.6 billion in 2025/26 to over one million unpaid carers receiving Carer’s Allowance. The rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, to £86.45 a week in 2026/27. And in April 2025, the Government raised the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit by a record amount, and it increased again to £204 net earnings a week for 2026/27. This enables unpaid carers to earn more through paid work and still keep Carer’s Allowance.

The Government also provides support to unpaid carers through income-related benefits, which can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities. Universal Credit and Pension Credit pay an extra £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition respectively.

In addition, the Government is reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and looking at where any improvements may be needed to ensure that employment rights for unpaid carers are fit for the modern world of work. This includes a public consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, which was launched on 9 June 2026. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-employment-rights-for-unpaid-carers-and-parents-of-seriously-ill-children

As set out in the in National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should operate a person-centred approach to all aspects of NHS Continuing Healthcare. This can include delivering NHS Continuing Healthcare through a personal health budget, where appropriate.

A personal health budget supports a person’s health and wellbeing needs planned and agreed with them or their representative and the local National Health Service team. A budget can be used to pay an individual living in the same household, a close family member or a friend if the CCG is satisfied that this is necessary to meet the continuing health care needs of the person for whom the personal health budget has been agreed. CCGs should make these judgements on a case-by-case basis.

The available information on the number of households with a carer entitlement on Universal Credit, currently for August 2020, is published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

The latest available statistics on the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit claimants in receipt of the carer premium, and the number of Pension Credit claimants in receipt of the carer addition are shown in the following table.

Number of Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit claimants in receipt of the carer premium and the number of Pension Credit claimants in receipt of the carer addition, Great Britain, Feb 20, May 20 and Aug 20

Source: DWP Quarterly Statistical Enquiry 5% data and 100% Work, Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and DWP Single Housing Benefit Extract

Notes

1. Figures for Income Support, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit are rounded to the nearest 10 and Jobseeker’s Allowance is rounded to the nearest 100.
2. JSA figures have been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) totals.

The information requested is not readily available for Employment and Support Allowance claimants and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period. The Department is currently working with Public Health England to review the advice to unpaid carers on use of personal protective equipment.

On 8 April the Government published guidance for unpaid carers which provides general advice, including advice on infection control, links to other information and support, and advice on caring where someone has symptoms. This can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-unpaid-care

The Government will continue to work closely with carer organisations and others to support unpaid carers during this period and beyond. This includes working with Carers UK to provide carers with practical advice which can be found at the following link:

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health/coronavirus-covid-19

The Government published the ‘Carers Action Plan 2018 – 2020 supporting carers today’ published in June 2018, which sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support all unpaid carers, including improving the identification of carers, and gives visibility to the work already underway or planned within Government over two years until the end of June this year.

A final report on the action plan will be produced later this year and, alongside this report the Government will consider the best next steps to support carers.

In addition to the Carers Action Plan, most local authorities have their own individual care plans or strategies to support unpaid carers in their areas.

On the point about a scheme to identify unpaid carers, in addition to the Government’s Carers Action Plan, the National Health Service has set out a plan to help improve the identification and support of carers and unpaid carers within the NHS Long Term Plan. Understandably, the implementation of some aspects of this have been impacted by the COVID-19 response.

The Government published the ‘Carers Action Plan 2018 – 2020 supporting carers today’ published in June 2018, which sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support all unpaid carers, including improving the identification of carers, and gives visibility to the work already underway or planned within Government over two years until the end of June this year.

A final report on the action plan will be produced later this year and, alongside this report the Government will consider the best next steps to support carers.

In addition to the Carers Action Plan, most local authorities have their own individual care plans or strategies to support unpaid carers in their areas.

On the point about a scheme to identify unpaid carers, in addition to the Government’s Carers Action Plan, the National Health Service has set out a plan to help improve the identification and support of carers and unpaid carers within the NHS Long Term Plan. Understandably, the implementation of some aspects of this have been impacted by the COVID-19 response.

The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period.

On 8th April we published guidance for unpaid carers on GOV.UK, which includes general advice on infection control, advice on caring where someone has symptoms, how to create care plans, how to make alternative care arrangements at short notice and access links to various NHS resources.

We have provided additional funding to Carers UK’s helpline, information and support services, to help more carers access trusted information and advice. We also continue to signpost carers to the charity’s website for additional information and support during this pandemic.

We are committed to supporting carers in the City of Durham and across the country to remain in work, recognising the challenges of balancing work and care also in the longer term.

This is why the Government is now consulting on proposals to introduce Carer’s Leave, to support working people who are also carers to balance employment with their caring responsibilities.

This Government is also clear about the benefits of flexible working for employers and for their employees, including those with caring responsibilities. In our manifesto we said that, subject to consultation, we would introduce measures to make flexible working the default.

The Government recognises and appreciates the vital role played by unpaid carers now more than ever. In November 2019 there were more than 1,300 carers in the City of Durham constituency that were receiving Carer’s Allowance (CA) and in 2018/19 we spent approximately £4.6 million on CA there.

We have focussed on ensuring carers do not inadvertently stop receiving CA because of changes to patterns of care during the current emergency. This includes allowing emotional support to count towards the 35 hours of care being provided by the carer as well as relaxing the rules around breaks in care. These changes aim to support carers whose role has, in many cases, become harder due to the need to self-isolate or shield the person they care for.

The rate of CA was also increased in early April as part of the annual uprating process. Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £67.25 a week, meaning nearly an additional £700 a year for carers. We continue to support those carers in most need through additional amounts (premiums) in means-tested benefits and have also announced increases to the standard allowance in Universal Credit. Meaning claimants will be up to £1040 a year better off, which some carers receiving Universal Credit will benefit from.