New report highlights the housing challenges faced by unpaid carers

Using data from their annual survey, a new report from Carers UK shines a light on carers’ housing situations and the challenges that can be faced with costs and accessible housing.

The report, 'The impact of caring on housing', which was supported by the Housing LIN, is based on data from the Carers UK 2024 State of Caring survey, which for the first time included a specific section on housing. Findings include that:

• Just over a fifth of carers (21%) said they are struggling to afford their rent or mortgage payments and 38% said they were worried about increases to their rent or mortgage payments, with carers who were renting their home were much more likely to be struggling financially than carers who own their home.
• 53% said they wanted to move into a property better suited to their needs but cannot afford to do this.
• A third of carers (33%) said they were worried about their future housing situation if their caring role comes to an end.
• 42% of carers said they are struggling to afford the cost of household repairs.

The report concludes with five recommendations from Carers UK for how the UK Government can support carers to manage their finances, including housing costs.

Jeremy Porteus, Housing LIN CEO, said: 

“When we describe extra care housing or housing with care it is often through the lens of those residents who in receipt of care or who are self-caring. However, the role of carers and their housing circumstances in both specialist as well as mainstream housing often goes under the radar. As a result, we are delighted to have been involved in the publication of this new Carers UK report. For the first time ever, it pulls out the key housing characteristics from Carers UK’s annual State of Caring survey and highlights the key housing issues that affect the role of unpaid carers. We look forward to showcasing this further at our upcoming HAPPI Hour webinar during Carers Awareness Week.”

In partnership with Carers UK and to mark Carers Week 2025, join us for a HAPPI Hour webinar on Tuesday, 10th June, 4–5pm, exploring the link between formal and informal care in extra care housing. We’ll launch a new joint briefing on carers’ housing needs, based on Carers UK’s latest State of Caring survey, and spotlight NIHR SSCR-funded research from the University of Kent’s PSSRU on the costs and benefits of domiciliary care. Sign up here!