A new cross-government action plan for unpaid carers has been published, aiming to identify carers earlier and connect them to support sooner.
Nearly one in 10 people in England is an unpaid carer. The plan sets out 42 actions across health, social care, education, employment and benefits, built around three aims: recognising carers, referring them to services, and helping them stay in work or education.
Key measures include:
- Carers will be able to register their role on the NHS App, so health professionals know to involve them in care planning
- A single patient record so carers stop having to repeat the same information to different services
- A new unpaid carers information page on GOV.UK, bringing together guidance on health, benefits and employment (launching this summer)
- A “carers’ charter” setting out carers’ rights
- Employers with more than 250 staff will be required to improve support for carers from spring 2027
- Carers will be included in hospital discharge planning
- Schools will be held accountable for identifying and supporting young carers, so they don’t fall behind
The plan follows recent increases to the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit and comes ahead of the Casey Commission’s initial recommendations on social care reform, due later this year.
