One year on from its implementation, what impact do you think the Carer’s Leave Act has had on the lives of unpaid carers across the UK?
One thing that I think is really important is that the Carer’s Leave Act gives carers the right to leave, it’s not just a benefit being given as a ‘perk’ by an employer. I spoke to many carers at the time who were being given time off by their bosses, but who struggled with the guilt of taking time away from work.
Many were also worried that their boss might stop being so understanding, and that they would end up being penalised for taking the time away. I’m really glad that a year on, the Carer’s Leave Act has provided a bit of relief and helped carers balance their responsibilities without the guilt.
What are the barriers preventing carers from accessing the leave they are now entitled to and how can these be addressed?
One of the major barriers is that for some, taking unpaid leave is simply not affordable. Research by Carers UK found that more than half (56 per cent) of working carers cannot afford to access the week of unpaid leave they are now legally entitled to.
The issue was found to be even more pronounced among those aged 18 to 44, who were more likely to say they could not afford to take unpaid carers’ leave than those aged 45 to 64. Younger carers were also more likely to be worried their manager or colleagues would respond negatively to requests. I think the obvious next step is to introduce paid carers leave to help give access to everyone who needs the leave to manage their caries duties.
Do you believe employers need more guidance or support to implement the Act effectively, especially small businesses?
I do think that there is room for employers to be better guided and aware of the Act. We need all businesses, no matter how big or small, no matter how engaged they are with carers already, to be aware of carers leave. But equally, and just as importantly, we need employees to know about it. There is a role for Government here, for sure, both in Holyrood and Westminster. I’m not sure either did enough at the time to publicise the new right.
I know that the Scottish Government works with Carers Scotland on the Carer Positive scheme which does have some information on the law, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t find anything on the gov.scot website including the Scottish Parliament’s own handbook. There is also a part to be played by civil society and businesses who are already engaged in carer positive policies, we need to make sure their voices are heard widely. There are no better advocates than employers who see the benefit in supporting their unpaid carers.
Many campaigners now argue the next step should be to make carer’s leave paid. Do you support that ambition, and how might it be made affordable and sustainable?
I absolutely support the next step being to make carer’s leave paid, in fact in our Liberal Democrat manifesto we pledge to introduce paid carer’s leave, building on the entitlement to unpaid leave. This is a longer-term ambition and would require consultation and engagement with carers and businesses. Our aim would be to ensure that the current week of entitlement to unpaid leave would become ten days of paid leave.
Have any international examples influenced your thinking on how to better support unpaid carers?
There are a few international examples of unpaid carer support which have definitely influenced my thinking on what steps the UK should take. In Italy for example, employees have the right to three days paid leave per month to care for severely disabled relatives in an emergency or to accompany them to medical appointments. Similarly, in Australia, employees are entitled to ten days per year of paid personal leave (pro rata) to attend to caring responsibilities.
A re-design of eligibility rules and a review of support levels is urgently needed
In the Netherlands, employees can take short-term caring leave up to twice their weekly working hours for the necessary care of a sick partner, child, parents or grandchild to provide care or attend a medical appointment. This leave is paid and is at least 70 per cent of salary, but never less than the minimum wage and can be taken in blocks. I think these are some good examples of steps we can take to improve our support for unpaid carers.
How do we ensure that unpaid carers are not left financially vulnerable, especially those who reduce work hours or give up jobs entirely?
I think one way to ensure unpaid carers are not left financially viable is to improve carer’s allowance. Oftentimes, it does not offer sufficient income replacement and, as a result, discourages carers from paid employment. In the Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that from 7 April 2025, the earnings limit for carers will rise from £151 to £196.
However, there was no change made to the cliff edge and earning a penny over this amount results in the entire benefit being clawed back. On top of that, currently, an unpaid carer must provide at least 35 hours of care a week to be eligible which leaves those who still have demanding caring responsibilities but not quite that many hours in a difficult position.
A re-design of eligibility rules and a review of support levels is urgently needed, and could increase employment participation, improve carers’ wellbeing, boost growth, and help unpaid carers to escape poverty traps.
Do you believe unpaid carers are adequately represented in policymaking and public discourse? If not, how do we change that?
I regularly meet with people and organisations who support carers to ensure their voices are heard. Just a few weeks ago I hosted a care policy event in Parliament where researchers, carers and employers were invited to discuss support for carers. However, I think that more can be done to ensure unpaid carers are represented better in policymaking. For example, I have been advocating for the introduction of a Minister for Care who could represent unpaid carers better in policymaking.
