"I'd like to see insurers launch new products and services that support caregivers, but the market is incredibly slow."
- Mark Stephenson, CEO of Reframe Cancer
In the UK, 22% of adults aged 18+ (11.9mn) are currently providing care, and 46% (24.9mn) have been a caregiver at some point - 12k people become unpaid caregivers every 24 hours.
1.2mn unpaid caregivers are in poverty, and 400k in severe poverty. Last year, the poverty rate for unpaid caregivers was 50% higher than for those who didn’t provide care (27% vs 18%).
Worryingly, 43% (10.7mn) of current and former caregivers say they have a mental or physical health condition that has developed or become worse since caring for their loved ones.
According to Carer UK’s ‘Caring about Equality’ 2025 Report, 40% of current caregivers have postponed/cancelled medical appointments, tests, scans, treatment, or therapy due to caregiving responsibilities.
The charity warns, “If we don’t proactively tackle the inequalities impacting unpaid caregivers, more people will face poverty, poor health, low educational attainment and employment prospects, loneliness, and isolation.”
Spotlighting the challenges faced by caregivers to cancer patients, Reframe Cancer has revealed 57% felt entirely unprepared to care for their loved ones when they took on the role. Of those surveyed (442), 63% said the emotional impact of caring for someone with cancer has made it difficult to keep working.
“It’s concerning how little support there is for caregivers. Employers, and insurers, are trying to work out what to do […] it’s a bit like where mental health support was fifteen years ago; everyone knew it was a big issue, but there weren’t any solutions,” Mark Stephenson, CEO of Reframe Cancer (pictured), told Protection Reporter.
Mark believes education must be prioritised to encourage innovation. “Better support and you’ve got a more productive workforce, but we need to educate employers. Insurers have bolted on various added value services to protection products but there’s rarely any consideration for caregivers,” he said.
“It’s not about giving caregivers one or two days off work a week, they need guidance and support.”
Caregivers providing 35+ hours of weekly care are entitled to Carer’s Allowance which is the lowest benefit of its kind at £83.30 per week.
On average, caregivers support loved ones for eleven months, which is close to the duration of statutory maternity leave. And yet, this pays 90% of an individual’s average weekly earnings (AWE) before tax for the first 6 weeks then £187.18 or 90% of their AWE for the remaining 33 weeks (whichever is lower).
Discussing the stark difference between these caregiving-related benefits, Mark stressed, “Employers need to recognise how little support caregivers receive and the knock-on impact.”
Reframe Cancer found 48% of caregivers felt rushed to return to work after taking leave to care for their loved ones with cancer. Almost four in ten (36%) said they wanted to move jobs due to a lack of employer support.
“Caregivers often don’t have expertise and yet they are helping loved ones understand treatment plans and navigate medical appointments.”
“Before cancer patients begin treatment, they will have attended maybe 10 meetings in secondary care. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s stressful and can lead to burnout,” he explained.
Moreover, six in ten (60%) caregivers to cancer patients were unaware of the Carer’s Leave Act 2023, with 52% of employers failing to inform them about their rights upon disclosing that they were a caregiver.
Brought forward by Wendy Chamberlain MP, the Carer’s Leave Act gives employees in England, Scotland, and Wales the right to take up to one week of unpaid leave every twelve months to provide or arrange care for a dependent with long-term care needs.
When asked whether this legislation is enough to keep caregivers in the workforce, Mark said the onus is more on the employer: “With 36% of caregivers saying they wanted to move jobs due to a lack of workplace support, it’s crucial that employers recognise how important it is to support these individuals.”
“Going back to what I said about mental health, the majority of employers now have support in place, so they need to do the same for caregivers.”
Carers UK found young caregivers (aged 18-24) were most likely to postpone/cancel medical appointments (53%). This age group was also most likely to say they have a health condition that developed or has become worse since becoming a caregiver (57%).
Young caregivers providing care for 35+ hours a week are 86% less likely to graduate university and 46% less likely to join the workforce.
Mark highlighted that it’s difficult for young caregivers because “if they declare that during an interview, let’s be honest, they probably aren’t going to get the job. But an employee prepared to give up their time to be a caregiver shows commitment and would therefore be an asset to any business.”
