About 1,500 Britons a day are quitting jobs to become unpaid carers

More than 1,500 people in the UK are resigning from their jobs every single day to look after elderly, disabled, or seriously ill relatives.

The figure, published in a report by the charity Carers UK, marks a sharp rise from 2019, when about 600 people a day left the workforce for the same reason. It shows how a rapidly ageing population, combined with a rise in long-term health conditions and shrinking state-funded social care, is forcing families to make stark choices between their careers and their loved ones.

According to the charity's polling of 4,000 adults, conducted by Opinium, around 11 million people in the UK now provide unpaid care—up from 8.8 million before the pandemic. One in five employees now juggles paid work with caring responsibilities. Many have had to cut their hours, turn down promotions, or take lower-paid roles just to cope.

Why are people leaving their jobs?

For many, the pressure eventually makes staying in work impossible. Jacqui Hylton, a 58-year-old midwife, gave up her 30-year NHS career two years ago to care for her mother, Winnie, who was then 86. Hylton moved from Hertfordshire to Leeds to become a full-time carer.

Despite the national midwife shortage, returning to her profession is now difficult because her caring duties make it impossible to work the hours needed to keep her professional accreditation.

"Financially I’m worse off, my pension will be less than it should have been," Hylton said. "It’s lonely at times and it's extremely hard work—harder than working in the NHS."

Emily Holzhausen, director of policy at Carers UK, said these figures represent real people forced to make difficult decisions about their financial security and their futures.

What is the economic cost of unpaid care?

This exodus from the workforce is not just a personal crisis; it is an expensive one for the nation. The Department for Business and Trade estimates that carers being forced to cut hours or quit altogether costs the UK economy £37 billion a year.

When experienced staff leave the workforce, employers lose valuable skills, and the tax base shrinks while demand on public services rises.

What rights do unpaid carers currently have?

Since April 2024, employees in England, Scotland, and Wales have had a legal right to five days of unpaid carer's leave a year. But campaigners say this does not go far enough. Carers UK is pushing for the government to introduce a statutory entitlement to 10 days of paid carer's leave.

The government launched a consultation in June proposing paid carer's leave, alongside a new "right to return" to work similar to maternity protections. A government spokesperson said they are exploring how best to support unpaid carers through an ongoing review of employment rights.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose father had Alzheimer's, warned earlier this year that caring without support "can and does break people."

Meanwhile, Louise Casey’s independent review of adult social care is expected to report within the next few months, with advocates hoping it will recommend policy changes that place carers at the heart of a reformed system.