An open letter to the  Prime Minister 

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

May 2025

Dear Prime Minister,

We write to express our deep concern regarding key aspects of the Government’s welfare reform proposals. These changes will see an unprecedented cut to benefits for unpaid carers and a significant reduction in household income for disabled people and their families.

We ask you to reconsider the proposals, delay plans for legislation until a full impact assessment has been completed, and implement measures which alleviate, rather than exacerbate, the poverty that carers currently experience.

Over the last year, we have welcomed the changes that Government has already made to Carer’s Allowance, including significantly increasing the earnings limit and pegging it to sixteen times the National Living Wage, and acting swiftly to establish an independent review into overpayments. We also acknowledge the need for reform of a social security system that is not fit for purpose.

However, the proposed measures in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper will result in a £500 million reduction in spending on financial support for carers — the biggest effective cut to carers' entitlements since the benefit was first established in 1976.

Requiring people to score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will mean 150,000 unpaid carers will lose their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance by 2029/30. Because PIP is a key ‘gateway’ benefit that unlocks entitlement to Carer’s Allowance, our analysis suggests that families losing eligibility for both benefits could face annual income losses exceeding £8,000 from November 2026.

In addition, 150,000 unpaid carers themselves have disabilities and are in receipt of PIP, while the proposed changes to freeze the health element of Universal Credit for current recipients and cut the rate by £47 per week for new claimants will place even more pressure on carers and their families, costs they simply cannot afford to meet.

Although Carer's Allowance is the lowest benefit of its kind, it is an important benefit which carers can ill-afford to lose. 1.2 million unpaid carers already live in poverty in the UK, including 400,000 in deep poverty. Around 600 unpaid carers give up paid work to care every day and many have additional costs because of their caring responsibilities.

Hundreds of carers have contacted Carers UK and other organisations in recent weeks saying they are extremely concerned about what the changes will mean for them and their families. Carers fear they will be driven into poverty, unable to pay for bills and essentials, or left with no option but to resort to food banks. Many have also spoken about the very significant and adverse mental health impact the proposals have had on them.

Unpaid carers are being placed in an impossible situation as there is not currently sufficiently reliable, good quality, and affordable social care or consistent NHS support to enable more unpaid carers to juggle work and care. They are being asked to either work without the social care and health support needed to keep the person they care for well and safe, or not seek employment and be subject to sanctions and significantly reduced incomes.

Carers want and deserve to see a brighter future where they are properly recognised, valued, and supported, especially given the unpaid care they provide is worth £184 billion a year.

We trust that you will give this matter the urgent consideration it merits.