Putting carers on the map ahead of the General Election 2024
With a General Election now confirmed for 4 July, it’s essential that the next Government understands the significant challenges many carers are facing. Over the next 5 weeks there is a real opportunity to ask all political parties to commit to significant and meaningful policies to transform the lives of millions of carers.
Sign the open letter to the next Prime Minister
To raise awareness of its campaign, Carers UK has organised an open letter to the future Prime Minister, which it hopes will gather thousands of signatures. Carers UK will deliver this letter to the new Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street following the election.
Please add your name to the letter and join the 3,200 people who have already done so. Carers UK ask that you also share it widely with your colleagues, family and friends, and any carers that you work with so that they can also add their name.
How to participate
Find out more and sign the open letter to the next Prime Minister here: https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/general-election-2024/open-letter-to-the-future-prime-minister/
A manifesto for unpaid carers
Ahead of the 2024 General Election on 4 July, Carers UK has produced a manifesto for carers, calling on all political parties to commit to a new social contract for carers to recognise the enormous contribution millions of people make each day by providing the unpaid care that their families and friends need.
Over the next five years and beyond, whichever party forms the next Government must do much more to ensure that every carer has the financial, practical and workplace support they need.
Through its engagement with thousands of unpaid carers and its wider research and policy work, Carers UK has identified six thematic areas where it wants to see all political parties commit to significant and meaningful policies to transform the lives of millions of carers:
- Supporting carers’ health and wellbeing
- Preventing financial hardship
- Better identification and recognition
- Improving care and support
- Support to juggle work and care
- Equality for carers
Carers UK is also calling for the development of a new, ambitious and comprehensive National Carers Strategy to transform the way Government supports carers over the next 10 years.
The next Government must:
- Reform Carer’s Allowance and other social security payments for carers.
- Deliver a new, ambitious and funded cross Government National Carers Strategy.
- Invest in carers’ breaks and respite services, and legislate so all carers have a right to a break in England.
- Make the NHS the most carer-friendly health service in the world, with new rights and practical support.
- Introduce a statutory right to two weeks of paid Carer’s Leave for working carers.
- Recognise caring as the 10th protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
- Provide sustainable funding and investment in social care services.
- Support carers to manage their health and wellbeing.
Further information
Read the Carers UK manifesto here: https://www.carersuk.org/media/dqglmnn5/cuk-manifesto-2024-web.pdf
Read Carers UK’s summary version of the manifesto here: https://www.carersuk.org/media/ieknycot/cuk-manifesto-2024_policy-briefing-web.pdf
