It's Time to Talk Differently about Unpaid Care

Across the UK, more than five million people are providing unpaid care: it could be a parent caring for a disabled child, a daughter helping her mum live at home independently for longer, or the husband navigating life with his wife’s dementia.

Caring is the societal glue that helps us live meaningful lives, in the place we call home, with the people and things we love. Caring is the bread and butter of daily life in Britain. So why is it that only just over half of those providing care say they get the support they need to live well themselves? 

Put simply, carers are everywhere, but they remain hidden in plain sight. At best they are acknowledged, but not prioritised. 

Our Care Narratives research shows that while eight in ten people amongst the general public agree that unpaid care is as valuable as paid work, it barely registers among the top concerns facing UK families. In other words: people care, but they don’t see care as their issue. Until it lands on their doorstep, that is. By the time it does, carers are often already struggling with their wellbeing and finances. This is something we see every day at Carers Trust. 

Why the Old Stories No Longer Work 

For too long, the way we’ve talked about unpaid care has unintentionally kept caring  out of  public and policy agendas. Our research explains why. When carers are cast as extraordinary “heroes” endlessly self-sacrificing or on the brink of burnout, these stories win sympathy, but not action. This narrative makes unpaid care sound exceptional, when in truth it’s something almost all of us will experience in our lives either as a carer, or as someone being cared for. 

Our research confirms this. Just 10% of people recognise themselves as unpaid carers, despite 30% actually providing care at any one time. Seeing care as “what you do for family” is a profoundly human instinct, but it also lets systems and governments off the hook.

A New Evidence-Based Way to Talk About Unpaid Care 

The research was led by Carers Trust and supported by the Health Foundation and Oxfam GB. We commissioned Claremont, behavioural change and communications specialists, to conduct an in-depth study to test what really shifts public attitudes. We combined national polling, focus groups, and discourse analysis to find out how people think, feel, and talk about unpaid care, and what makes them tune out. We worked alongside an Advisory Steering Group of wider social justice advocates representing small and large charities, carer-led movements and academics.

The result is a set of evidence-based reframes. These reframes are designed to talk about unpaid care in ways that move beyond our echo chamber, and to spark hope, action and investment.

Re-frame 1: Care is a Universal Experience 

At some point, every one of us will care for someone, or be cared for. Yet most people still think caring is something that happens to “others.” When we show that caring is part of the shared human story, not a marginal one, people start to see both its relevance and their role in shaping how society supports it.

Our research found that those already caring, or expecting to soon, are twice as likely to prioritise unpaid care. Building this connection early fosters empathy and prompts action before a crisis arises. 
 
Re-frame 2: No Care Without Support 

When we talk about unpaid care as something isolating and unsupported it creates an ostrich effect among the wider public. Our new frame seeks to transform understanding of unpaid care and show a vision for change that generates public support. Right now, seven in ten carers say they don’t have enough time for themselves; and around three-quarters feel torn between caring and other responsibilities. 

By showing people concrete examples of good support close to home or through their employer - such as flexible jobs, respite breaks, peer networks - their belief that change is possible rises. Hope and public support for reform grows, too. 

Re-frame 3: Prevention and Partnerships

We all want to live in a country where caring for loved ones is made easier, not harder. Caring is deeply personal, but our research shows that people think it shouldn’t be left solely to families until they reach crisis point. Personal relationships must be valued, but government also has a duty to provide the infrastructure and support needed so people can both care and live well.

By reframing support as a partnership between individuals, families and the systems around them, we start talking about a system that works for unpaid carers, not the other way around.

From Words to Action: Building a Caring Society

At Carers Trust, our hope is that this reframing will mobilise our mission of building a caring society. Because the way we talk about care shapes the way we build policy, fund services, and design systems.  
A caring society isn’t one that outsources compassion to a few extraordinary people. It is one that understands care as ordinary, universal and vital. And invests accordingly. 

That means:

• Employers offering real flexibility so people can care and work. 
• Public services that recognise unpaid carers as partners, not afterthoughts.
• Financial support that prevents poverty, rather than patches it up.
• Communities where caring doesn’t mean isolation, but connection. 

A Call to Join the Conversation

Our message is simple: this is everyone’s story. So whether you’re a policymaker, journalist, employer or neighbour, start talking about unpaid care differently and demand a system that supports care as the norm. Unpaid care is the social glue that holds this country together. If we get it right, we won’t just better support carers. We’ll also build a fairer, more caring society for us all.