The Centre for Care is delighted to have our research on unpaid carers featured by our funders, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as part of a nation-wide promotional activity which draws attention to impactful research made possible by funding from UKRI.
Their article, published on 4th March on the UKRI website, is entitled ‘Helping unpaid carers balance work and care’ and spotlights the Centre for Care’s ‘Valuing Carers’ study, in which our researchers analysed Census data to estimate the value of unpaid care in the four nations of the UK. The findings from this research were cited in parliament during bill readings which ultimately led to the passing of the Carers Leave Act (2024). The research was carried out in partnership with our long-term collaborators, Carers UK.
Our Director, Professor Kate Hamblin sums up the importance of this research:
Our research revealed that unpaid care in the UK is worth around £184 billion each year. That’s comparable to a second NHS. That figure is a powerful shorthand for the sheer scale of contributions that carers make to society and our economy.
Read the article here to learn how this research led to new legal rights in the workplace to help support people like Chris, an unpaid carer from Sheffield featured in the article, who calls our contribution to this policy change ‘invaluable’.
We are proud to undertake innovative research which contributes to the ongoing debate around unpaid care, driving real change for millions of people like Chris.
