Carers Week campaign highlights inequalities for unpaid carers
The Carers Week 2025 campaign has focused on inequalities and published a report entitled: ‘Caring About Equality’.
The campaign and report has been informed by a poll of 2,000+ members of the public, with data from current or former carers showing:
- 43% have had a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on caring responsibilities.
- 58% say they face disadvantages in looking after their own health.
- 40% of those who are currently caring have cancelled a medical appointment, test, scan, treatment or therapy because of their caring roles.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, says:
“Sadly, caring for someone often comes at a personal cost and carers still face significant inequalities. If you are caring for someone it’s likely that you will experience poorer health, financial strain, challenges accessing employment and education opportunities and be at greater risk of loneliness and isolation. So often carers feel invisible and overlooked, but we can all make a difference by caring about equality and taking action to recognise and support unpaid carers.”
The Lewy Body Society is the only official dementia charity supporter of Carers Week, and Jacqui Cannon, Chief Executive of the Lewy Body Society, says:
“We recognise the vital role unpaid carers play in the lives of people with dementia, often at much cost to themselves. Lewy Body Society supporter Paul Stone has movingly shared his own experiences in this year’s Carers Week report to help increase understanding of the caring experience.”
Read the ‘Caring about Equality’ report here: https://www.carersweek.org/media/qxnkcnn0/carers-week-report-2025-web_small.pdf (Paul’s story is on page 30)
Find out more about Carers Week here: https://www.carersweek.org