No time to fight for their rights: exhausted unpaid carers stage first protest from home, streamed on screens outside parliament
1 in 3 say they’re rarely able to leave their duties due to lack of support.
- Fed up of feeling abandoned and ignored, unpaid carers are protesting from their kitchens and living rooms across the country today - with participants shown inside their homes via huge LED screens outside Parliament
- It serves as a stark reminder that these essential but often forgotten people are unable to take time out to protest in person, as they’re on duty 24 hours a day
- The protest comes as more than two thirds (67%) of carers say planning a holiday feels like a pipe dream, with 60% feeling burnt out most of the time
- Together with actor and former live-in carer Greg Wise, charity Carers Trust is calling on the nation to sign a petition, demanding the UK Government provides more support for the UK’s six million unpaid carers
- To sign the petition, visit carers.org/protest
As MPs head off on their summer recess, and school holidays begin, exhausted unpaid carers from across the country have come together to fight for their right to respite care, in a first-of-its-kind protest outside Parliament.
With more than two fifths of unpaid carers (44%) currently accessing no UK Government support to respite care – some time off which could be anything from a few hours’ break to taking a holiday - this cohort of forgotten key workers have been left with no choice but to stage a protest from their homes, while simultaneously caring for their loved ones.
Holding placards from their kitchens and living rooms that reveal what they’d do if they were able to take some much-needed time off, their rallying cries are being streamed on huge LED screens outside government buildings.
The protest comes as a new study of 250 unpaid carers in England reveals that almost 1 in 3 (29%) rarely take a respite break, with 1 in 7 (15%) admitting they never take a break from their care duties. This lack of downtime leaves unpaid carers reporting feelings of burnout (60%), frustration (47%) and depression (27%).
With a staggering six million Brits reported to be providing unpaid care to family and friends around the clock, the research also found the average time taken away from caring by unpaid carers each day is just 54 minutes, which equates to only 13 days in a year - nine days less than the legal requirement for paid workers in England who are working eight hours a day, five days a week.
As a result of their need to care around the clock, more than half (57%) of unpaid carers surveyed rarely socialise with friends or family, whilst 67% say planning a holiday feels like a pipe dream. In fact, whilst the average Brit takes 3.94 holidays a year, nearly a third (31%) of carers say they’ve not had a holiday in more than four years.
Unpaid carers from all walks of life - including a 14-year-old caring for his mother in Eastbourne, and 62-year-old caring for three of her family members in Merseyside - have joined the virtual protest outside Parliament today, with their rallying cries blasted across Westminster, and passers-by given an intimate glimpse into their daily lives via footage on the LED screens.
The initiative has been created by Uncommon Creative Studio, and is backed by leading charity Carers Trust. Also supporting the campaign is actor and ambassador for Carers Trust Greg Wise, who has had firsthand experience as a former live-in carer for his sister Clare.
“I know from my own experience just how tough life can be for carers,” says Greg, “and that’s why this protest is so important. Carers need to be seen and heard, yet the UK Government continues to stay silent when it comes to social care reform. That has to change.”
Kirsty McHugh, CEO of Carers Trust, comments:
“It’s incredibly disappointing that the UK Government still hasn’t given unpaid carers a right to respite. For decades, successive governments have depended on unpaid carers to provide social care on the cheap, which has delayed the need to come up with long-term funding and support.
"Whilst the Government is focused on strengthening employment rights, it seems to have forgotten unpaid carers – who can’t take a break at all."
Duncan Clark, Creative at Uncommon Creative Studio and part-time carer, adds:
“I’ve been a carer for 15 years, but am fortunate enough to not only be paid, but able to take holiday, and return home after my shift has finished. I have endless respect for those who dedicate their lives to supporting those they love, but I’m really frustrated at the lack of support they are given by the Government.
"Unpaid carers aren’t asking for much - our research found that if they had some more time off, 44% would just want to get outside for a walk. This protest demands Government attention for unpaid carers, at a time when it feels like the whole country is getting a break, apart from them.”
Uncommon and Carers Trust are calling on the nation to sign a petition, demanding more support for England’s unpaid carers from the UK Government, so they can take a proper break. To sign the petition, visit carers.org/protest.
Notes to editors
Survey of 250 unpaid carers in England conducted by 3Gem Research & Insights, June 2025.
Summary - unpaid carer legislation in Wales
Unpaid carers in Wales have the right to an assessment of their support needs, including their need for a break, and to have their eligible needs met under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014. In addition to those breaks provided by local authorities to carers with a Support Plan under the Act, the Short Breaks Scheme, coordinated nationally by Carers Trust Wales and funded by Welsh Government, provides personalised, flexible short breaks to tens of thousands of unpaid carers each year.
Summary - unpaid carer legislation in Scotland
In Scotland, the Scottish Government provides funding for short breaks for unpaid carers through various initiatives, including the £13 million Voluntary Sector Short Breaks Fund. On Tuesday 10 June 2025, the Scottish Parliament passed the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill. This will now give unpaid carers in Scotland a right to breaks from caring. Changes will be made to the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, which will include responsible authorities having to determine whether an unpaid carer is able to access 'sufficient' regular breaks as part of their Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement.
About Uncommon Creative Studio
Uncommon is a global creative studio built to be on the receiving end of the most important and influential briefs of our time–across advertising, design, experience, entertainment and beyond. The practice earned recognition as Europe’s fastest growing startup in advertising history, and now boasts offices on three continents, all of which represent access to a fluid model of best-in-class talent, capability, craft and culture. With a reputation for applying its founding principles of building brands that matter and emphasizing acts over advertising, clients include many of the world’s most renowned and creatively ambitious brands including Beats, Diageo, Instagram, Nike Jordan, Quaker, SiriusXM and Vimeo. Uncommon has also launched its own brands including Ratboot, which debuted at New York fashion week, earning more than 147M views–more than the Super Bowl–without a single dollar spent on media.