Nearly half of UK adults say their health has been impacted since caring, reporting new or worsening conditions

• 43% of current or former carers have had a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on caring responsibilities
• Over half (58%) say they face disadvantages in looking after their own health
• 40% of those who are currently caring have cancelled a medical appointment, test, scan, treatment or therapy because of their caring roles

Findings mark the start of Carers Week which takes place from 9-15 June. The theme of this year’s Carers Week is ‘Caring About Equality’.

Millions of the UK’s unpaid carers looking after disabled, older or ill relatives feel disadvantaged and are unable to prioritise their own health needs, with many developing new mental and physical health conditions since they have started caring.

New research for Carers Week 2025 has found that 43% of current or former carers – an estimated 10.7 million people – have seen a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on a caring responsibility for someone. This figure is higher again for current carers at 48%.

Following a poll of over 2,000 members of the public, over half (58%) of current and former carers said they felt they were at a disadvantage as they are not able to look after their own physical or mental health in the same way as those without caring responsibilities.

The 2024 GP Patient survey in England asked people whether they had any long-term physical or mental health conditions, disabilities or illnesses. 70% of carers said they did, compared to 59% of non-carers.

This latest research for Carers Week confirms that many lack the support they need to look after their own health alongside their caring role. 39% of current and former carers who had a health condition develop or become worse said that being able to take regular breaks from caring would have helped prevent this.

40% of current carers said they had postponed or cancelled a medical appointment, test, scan, treatment or therapy because of caring, with 44% cancelling appointments saying they couldn’t find appointments at a time they could attend.

Current and former carers said they couldn’t find appointments at a time they could attend (39%) they didn’t have the support they needed to attend (30%), and they were unable to find affordable, available replacement care services (24%).

The report also found that a higher proportion of female current and former carers said they face disadvantages with their health compared with males (64% compared with 52%).

Carers UK and charity supporters Age UK, Carers Trust, MND Association, Oxfam GB, Rethink Mental Illness, The ME Association and The Lewy Body Society are seeking to increase visibility and raise awareness of the inequalities carers face during Carers Week, which is a UK-wide awareness campaign.

TSB Bank is the headline sponsor for Carers Week 2025, which is also kindly supported by Regina UK and Centrica.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:

“Sadly, caring for someone often comes at a personal cost and carers still face significant inequalities. If you are caring for someone it’s likely that you will experience poorer health, financial strain, challenges accessing employment and education opportunities and be at greater risk of loneliness and isolation.

“It can be a negative cycle for many carers who experience worsening physical or mental health and are unable to take a break to look after themselves. The impact of this can be long-lasting, but we know that change is possible - from the Government investing more in support for unpaid carers and the NHS having clear measures of help for carers, to rights at work and support within education.

“So often carers feel invisible and overlooked, but we can all make a difference by caring about equality and taking action to recognise and support unpaid carers.”

Ariam Enraght-Moony, Chief People Officer, TSB said:

“As the number of carers increase, so must our commitment to support them.

 “That’s why, for the past five years, TSB has made it possible to balance work with caring responsibilities – providing 70 hours of paid carer’s leave every 12 months – plus wider support including access to a care management service to help navigate each step of the care journey.

“In light of this growing need and its impact on our economy, it’s time that paid carer’s leave was more widely available across the UK.”

You can read the full report here.