Industry News | Jun 15, 2026 | No Comments |
Carers Week report
When carers struggle, disabled and older people lose out too
Supporting unpaid carers is often presented as an issue affecting carers themselves. However, a new report published during Carers Week 2026 highlights a wider concern: when carers are not properly recognised or supported, it can become harder for them to provide care to the people who rely on them.
The report, Building Carer Friendly Communities, was produced by the Carers Week campaign, a partnership of leading charities and organisations working to improve support for unpaid carers across the UK.
It found that while millions of carers provide essential support to family members and friends, many feel overlooked by the communities and services around them.
Impact on carers and those they support
According to the report, 44% of unpaid carers do not feel their role is understood or valued by their local community.
More significantly for disabled and older people, the findings suggest that a lack of support for carers can have a direct impact on the care they are able to provide.
Among carers who felt services and organisations were not carer friendly:
• 36% said it had negatively affected their physical or mental health
• 35% said it had made it harder to care for the person they support.
The report argues that supporting carers should not be viewed as a separate issue from supporting disabled, older and seriously ill people. Instead, it highlights the close relationship between carers’ wellbeing and the ability of people to live safely and independently.
With social care services under increasing pressure, unpaid carers continue to provide the majority of day-to-day support for many people with disabilities, long-term health conditions and age-related needs.
Carers Week 2026: Key findings
5.8 million people in the UK provide unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour.
44% of carers do not feel their role is understood or valued by their local community.
36% say a lack of carer-friendly services has negatively affected their physical or mental health.
35% say it has become harder to care for the person they support because services and organisations are not carer friendly.
Community pharmacies were among the most positively rated services, while some carers reported difficulties accessing support through transport and other public services.
Key message: Supporting carers is also about supporting the disabled, older and seriously ill people who rely on them. When carers receive the right support, the people they care for are more likely to maintain their independence and quality of life.
What makes a community carer friendly?
The report calls for a wider understanding of what it means to be a carer-friendly community.
Rather than focusing solely on formal care services, it highlights the role that health services, employers, local businesses, schools, transport providers and community organisations can all play in making life easier for carers.
Examples include recognising carers earlier, offering flexible appointments, providing clear information, signposting support services and ensuring carers are involved in decisions affecting the people they care for.
The research suggests that relatively small changes can make a significant difference to carers’ ability to balance caring responsibilities with work, family life and their own health.
Mixed experiences across services
Carers reported very different experiences depending on the services they used.
Community pharmacies were among the most positively rated services, with many carers reporting that pharmacy staff understood their circumstances and offered practical support.
Other services received less favourable feedback. Public transport, in particular, was identified as an area where some carers felt their needs were not fully understood or accommodated.
The findings underline the importance of considering carers when designing services that disabled and older people depend on every day.
Calls for national action
The organisations behind Carers Week are calling for stronger action from governments across the UK.
Recommendations include the development of a cross-government action plan for carers, followed by a long-term strategy that brings together health, social care, employment and education policies.
The report argues that carers are too often treated as an afterthought, despite the vital role they play in supporting millions of people.
Supporting independence
For readers of Independent Living, the report serves as a reminder that independence is rarely achieved in isolation.
Behind many people living independently at home is a family member, friend or neighbour providing practical and emotional support, often alongside work and other responsibilities.
Ensuring carers are recognised, supported and included in decision-making is therefore not only important for carers themselves, but also for the disabled and older people whose independence depends on that support.
As the report concludes, building carer-friendly communities is ultimately about creating communities that work better for everyone.
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Further reading and resources
Cross-government Unpaid Carers Action Plan
We have an area of Independent Living with resources for carers
Carers Week 2026 – Building Carer Friendly Communities
Carers UK State of Caring Report 2025
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