Carer Burnout & Invisibility
Why are carers struggling so much?
Because they’re invisible. Over 1 in 5 carers provide 50+ hours of care a week; often unpaid and unsupported.
Most unpaid carers work around the clock, often sacrificing careers, health, and financial security. The system relies on their labour but offers little in return- no proper respite, no mental health support, and minimal financial aid. Burnout isn’t the exception; it’s the norm.
What impact does caregiving have on families’ finances?
It’s devastating. Over 60% of carers reduce or quit work entirely. The average household loses £21,000 per year in income. Many are pushed into debt, food poverty, or homelessness... just for doing the job the state won’t. Nearly half of full-time carers live in poverty. Let that sink in.
Carer’s Allowance is just £81.90 a week—as little as £1.17 an hour for full-time care.
Isn’t there support available for carers?
Not enough. Carer’s Allowance pays less than £90 a week, and that’s only if you earn under a tight threshold. Respite services are underfunded or completely missing. Most carers aren’t even recognised by the system, let alone supported by it. The emotional toll is immense: loneliness, trauma, and mental health crises are widespread.
What needs to change?
Recognise that burnout is not invisible. Carers work full-time hours, often alone. Often unpaid.
✦ Increase Carer’s Allowance and raise the earnings limit. Current rules force many into poverty or unemployment.
✦ Ensure respite is a right, not a luxury. Families simply can’t function without occasional breaks.
✦ Flexible work options without penalty
✦ Fund real services, not just slogans. Mental health support, crisis cover, and case coordination must be made available—consistently.
What YOU Can Do Right Now
Support Charities & Sign a Petition
Visit Carer's Trust, a charity focused on spreading awareness of the challenges unpaid carers face every day. Sign the campaign petition to call for carers’ legal right to a break. Every signature matters.
Petitions like these are a powerful way to show just how urgently change is needed. Once they reach 100,000 signatures, they can trigger a debate in Parliament. That’s how pressure builds and change finally happens!
Write your MP
MPs can’t fix what they don’t hear about.
Sharing your experience makes the crisis visible beyond statistics. When enough people speak up, MPs are more likely to raise the issue in Parliament, push for funding, or back vital petitions. Real change starts with real stories.
Send your MP an email using this template
What the heck does this have to do with art?
This platform is for every carer who has cried behind a closed door, every parent who has fought for scraps of support, and every person who has felt erased by policy. Here, art becomes more than expression. It becomes resistance. We don’t just showcase the struggle; we frame it, honour it, and turn it into a call for change.