Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: commentary
Published 24 September 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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Introduction
This commentary contains England-level findings from the survey of adult carers in England (SACE), 2025 to 2026. Carer experience information is important for understanding the impact of carer support services and for informing service development.
The eligible population for this survey covers - at the point that data is extracted - all informal, unpaid carers aged 18 and over who are:
- caring for somebody over the age of 18
- known to the council with adult social services responsibilities (CASSR) - CASSRs will be referred to as ‘local authorities’ throughout this release
The survey asks carers questions about their caring responsibilities around the following themes:
- information about the carer
- information about the cared-for person
- impact of caring and quality of life
- quality of any information and advice received
- carer’s needs and experiences of support
- carers’ involvement in arranging services for the cared-for person
This commentary:
- summarises the main findings from the survey
- highlights any significant changes in the responses compared with previous years
- provides demographic information about the carers who responded to the survey
The data presented is based on the returns received from 152 of the 153 local authorities. Details of which local authorities did not take part in the survey are provided in the accompanying ’Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: data quality report’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
The local authorities who participated in the 2025 to 2026 survey reported an eligible population of 311,660 carers of whom a sample of 153,455 were selected to take part. A total of 43,460 completed questionnaires were returned, representing a 28.3% response rate. See the ’Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: data quality report’ for further details.
The 2025 to 2026 survey was the 7th survey of adult carers. See the ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: data quality report’ for more information on how this survey compares with previous surveys.
SACE findings were previously published by NHS England.
Data presentation
Proportions in this release are rounded to one decimal place and therefore may not always sum to 100%.
Proportions have been calculated by weighting the responses to each question using population figures for those eligible to take part. These weighted results are used to estimate the proportion of the overall population who hold these views.
Weighted responses are also used to estimate results for the entire eligible population. In this report, these weighted responses are used to estimate the number of carers in the population who would give each response. Note that these numbers are given as estimates and do not reflect the number of carers who gave each response.
As these questionnaire responses are estimates, the figures quoted in relation to the number of ‘carers’ or ‘people’ are rounded to the nearest 10. The known figures, such as the eligible population, are rounded to the nearest 5.
Most of the results in this survey were not significantly different from the results in previous surveys. If a result was significantly different, we flag it in this report. Further information on the presentation of figures is covered in the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: methodology’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Time series data presented in this commentary are limited to 5 survey years for clarity and ease of reading. For the complete time series data, see the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Impact of COVID-19 on SACE results
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic should be considered when looking at the 2021 to 2022 data. In the feedback for 2021 to 2022, several local authorities stated that they thought the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on response rates.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, the 2020 to 2021 survey was postponed and took place in 2021 to 2022. Following this, the survey resumed its usual 2-year cycle.
About this release
In addition to this commentary, this survey of adult carers 2025 to 2026 statistical release also consists of the following information and data:
- the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: question responses and demographic data tables’ (in ODS format)
- the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: time series data’ (in ODS format), which identifies the England-level question response data that is statistically different
- ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: quality of life scores’ (in ODS format)
- the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: data quality report’ and the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: data quality tables’ (in ODS format), which contain information on the quality of the data, response rates, margin of errors, comparability and validation methods used in the survey
- the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: methodology’, which provides further details on the development of the survey, calculating margins of error and confidence intervals, the rationale behind the questions and how the methodology has changed over time
- the ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: data pack’, which is a zip folder aimed at analysts. It contains a CSV file of all record-level data alongside a ‘Guidance for use of the CSV data’ file (in ODS format) that comprises:
- variable names, descriptions and values of data items contained in the CSV
- a list of relevant local authority codes and regions
- a pre-release access list
Supplementary information
This release should be read alongside the guidance for the survey of adult carers 2025 to 2026, which sets out the guidelines local authorities followed when conducting the survey.
An interactive survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026 dashboard will be released later in the year. This will present the main points of this release together with local authority-level figures, allowing users to compare data at both England and local authority level.
Responses to 6 questions from SACE are used to calculate carer-reported quality of life scores, which are used in the adult social care outcomes framework (ASCOF) measure 1C. These scores and a breakdown by the health condition of the cared-for person are given in ‘Survey of adult carers in England 2025 to 2026: quality of life scores’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page. For full details of how the scores are calculated, see the ASCOF handbook of definitions.
Main points
Support and services satisfaction
Excluding carers that had not received support or services from the local authority in the last 12 months, 14.2% felt they were extremely satisfied with the support or services they received in 2025 to 2026, an increase from 13.1% in 2023 to 2024. This compares to 4.2% that were extremely dissatisfied.
Looking after themselves
The proportion of carers who felt they can look after themselves, in terms of getting enough sleep or eating well, was 46.0%, while 19.9% of carers felt they are neglecting themselves in 2025 to 2026. These figures are the same as in 2023 to 2024.
Feeling involved or consulted
In 2025 to 2026, 26.2% of carers said they always felt involved or consulted in discussions about the support services provided to the person they care for in the last 12 months. This was an increase from 25.0% in 2023 to 2024.
Ease of finding information and advice
In 2025 to 2026, both the proportion of carers who found it very easy (10.3%) and fairly easy (33.0%) to find information and advice about support, services or benefits in the last 12 months increased compared with 2023 to 2024 (from 9.4% and 31.7% respectively). Around 30% of carers did not try to find information or advice.
Carers’ health
Around a quarter (25.7%) of carers said they developed their own health conditions as a result of their caring roles in 2025 to 2026. This result is the same as in 2023 to 2024.
Carer profiles
This section provides some context about the people who provide informal, unpaid care.
There was an eligible population of 311,660 for 2025 to 2026, an increase from 295,025 in the 2023 to 2024 survey. From the eligible population, 153,455 carers were sampled and 43,460 responses were received.
Age of carers
Figure 1: distribution (%) of the eligible population (carers) by age group, where the age is known, England, 2025 to 2026
| Age of carer | Proportion of eligible population (%) |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 1.5 |
| 25 to 34 | 3.7 |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7 |
| 45 to 54 | 15.5 |
| 55 to 64 | 25.4 |
| 65 to 74 | 19.2 |
| 75 to 84 | 18.3 |
| 85 and over | 8.7 |
The data behind figure 1 is taken from the demographic distribution of the eligible population, provided by each local authority in their SACE data return.
Figure 1 shows that the largest age band of carers was 55 to 64, which accounted for 25.4% of the eligible population (73,760 carers). The smallest age band was 18 to 24, which accounted for 1.5% of the eligible population (4,285 carers).
Figure 2: age distribution (%) of carer by age of the person they care for, England, 2025 to 2026
| Age | Cared-for person aged 18 to 34 | Cared-for person aged 35 to 54 | Cared-for person aged 55 to 74 | Cared-for person aged 75 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carer aged 18 to 34 | 31.0 | 19.2 | 31.6 | 18.2 |
| Carer aged 35 to 54 | 29.7 | 17.6 | 18.1 | 34.6 |
| Carer aged 55 to 74 | 16.2 | 11.3 | 28.9 | 43.7 |
| Carer aged 75 and over | 1.2 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 81.7 |
The data behind figure 2 can be found in table 2 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: data tables’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 2 shows that most carers aged 75 and over (81.7% or 84,090 carers), care for someone also aged over 75.
Gender of carers
The majority of carers whose gender was known were female (68.6% or 207,495), while 30.7% (92,975) carers were male.
Employment status of carers
Figure 3: distribution (%) of carer employment status, England, by survey year
| Employment status of carer | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retired | 57.9 | 57.0 | 56.7 | 58.3 | 60.1 |
| Employed full time | 8.7 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Employed part time (working 30 hours or less) | 10.1 | 10.3 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 10.1 |
| Self-employed full time | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Self-employed part time | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Not in paid work | 20.9 | 21.5 | 20.5 | 19.2 | 18.1 |
| Doing voluntary work | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Other | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.3 |
The data behind figure 3 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 3 gives a breakdown of the employment status of carers who responded to the survey over time:
- over half of carers (60.1%, 187,450 carers) were retired, this was an increase from 58.3% (172,060) in 2023 to 2024
- 18.1% (56,560) of carers were not in paid work, this was a decrease from 19.2% (56,750) in 2023 to 2024
It should be noted that some people may fall into more than one category, so the total may add up to more than 100%.
Parental caring responsibilities
The vast majority of carers (90.3% or 281,560) do not have parental responsibility for any children aged 18 years or under.
Completing the survey
Over 90% (92.1%) of carers said that they did not have help to complete the survey.
About the cared-for person
Age of the cared-for person
Figure 4: distribution (%) of the cared-for person’s age, England, by survey year
| Age of cared-for person | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| 25 to 34 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.7 | 7.6 |
| 35 to 44 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
| 45 to 54 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 5.3 |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 7.7 |
| 65 to 74 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 |
| 75 to 84 | 26.4 | 26.1 | 25.8 | 27.6 | 29.4 |
| 85 and over | 26.2 | 25.3 | 25.8 | 25.6 | 25.4 |
The data behind figure 4 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 4 shows over half of carers care for someone aged 75 and over. The proportion of carers that care for someone aged 75 to 84 increased to 29.4% (91,640) from 27.6% (81,450) in 2023 to 2024.
Support needs of the cared-for person
Figure 5: distribution (%) of the cared-for person’s support needs, England, 2025 to 2026
| Support needs | Proportion (%) |
|---|---|
| Physical disability | 49.5 |
| Dementia | 38.7 |
| Long-standing illness | 37.6 |
| Problems connected to ageing | 32.3 |
| Sight or hearing loss | 28.2 |
| Mental health problem | 23.7 |
| Learning disability or difficulty | 21.7 |
| Terminal illness | 5.9 |
| Alcohol or drug dependency | 1.9 |
The data behind figure 5 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: data tables’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 5 shows just under half of carers (49.5% or 154,130 carers) care for someone with a physical disability. Note that some carers reported caring for someone with multiple health conditions, so the total adds up to more than 100%.
Figure 6: distribution (%) of the cared-for person’s support needs, England, by survey year
| Support needs | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical disability | 53.1 | 51.4 | 49.9 | 50.3 | 49.5 |
| Dementia | 35.1 | 35.3 | 35.4 | 36.7 | 38.7 |
| Long-standing illness | 40.0 | 39.7 | 38.5 | 37.3 | 37.6 |
| Problems connected to ageing | 35.2 | 32.9 | 32.8 | 32.6 | 32.3 |
| Sight or hearing loss | 30.2 | 29 | 29.1 | 28.4 | 28.2 |
| Mental health problem | 20.5 | 21.7 | 23.4 | 22.5 | 23.7 |
| Learning disability or difficulty | 19.3 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 21.7 |
| Terminal illness | 5.2 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| Alcohol or drug dependency | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
The data behind figure 6 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 6 shows that the proportion of carers that care for someone with dementia has increased to 38.7% (120,700) from 36.7% (108,220) in 2023 to 2024. The proportion of carers that care for someone with a mental health problem increased to 23.7% from 22.5% in 2023 to 2024.
Support or services used by the cared-for person
Figure 7: distribution (%) of responses to the question ‘Has the cared-for person used day centres or activities in the last 12 months?’, England, by survey year
| Response | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 27.1 | 27.1 | 17.7 | 22.7 | 21.9 |
| No | 71.8 | 72.0 | 81.1 | 76.0 | 77.0 |
| Don’t know | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
The data behind figure 7 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 7 shows there was an increase in the proportion who were not making use of day centre or day activities. Carers were also asked if the person they care for has used any other support or services. There was a decrease in the proportion of carers using personal assistants.
Impact of caring and quality of life
How carers spend their time
In total, 16.8% (52,380) of carers felt they were able to spend their time as they want, doing things they value or enjoy. This compares to 16.7% (52,130) that felt they do not do anything they value or enjoy with their time, which decreased from 17.8% in 2023 to 2024.
Looking after yourself
Figure 8: proportion (%) of carers by how well they were able to look after themselves, England, by survey year
| Carer’s statement | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I look after myself | 54.9 | 51.9 | 49.2 | 46.7 | 46.0 |
| Sometimes I can’t look after myself well enough | 29.3 | 30.0 | 31.4 | 33.1 | 34.2 |
| I feel I am neglecting myself | 15.8 | 18.1 | 19.5 | 20.2 | 19.9 |
The data behind figure 8 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 8 shows that the proportion of carers who felt they can look after themselves, in terms of getting enough sleep or eating well, was 46.0% (143,230), while 19.9% (61,930) of carers felt they are neglecting themselves. Both proportions showed no change from 2023 to 2024.
Social contact
Figure 9: proportion (%) of carers by how much social contact they felt they had, England, by survey year
| Carer’s statement | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I have as much social contact as I want with people I like | 35.5 | 32.5 | 28.0 | 30.0 | 31.0 |
| I have some social contact with people but not enough | 48.3 | 50.1 | 51.1 | 51.2 | 50.6 |
| I have little social contact with people and feel socially isolated | 16.2 | 17.4 | 20.9 | 18.7 | 18.4 |
The data behind figure 9 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 9 shows 31.0% (96,600) of carers felt they had as much social contact as they want with people they like. This proportion showed no change from 2023 to 2024.
Loneliness
Carers were asked how often they feel lonely, of which 13.8% (42,980) of carers report often or always feeling lonely, compared to 14.5% (45,210) that never feel lonely. These results are the same as in 2023 to 2024.
Carers’ health
Figure 10: distribution (%) of how carers’ health has been impacted by their caring role, England, by survey year
| Health impacts | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feeling tired | 76.0 | 77.8 | 78.5 | 79.2 | 79.4 |
| Feeling depressed | 43.4 | 45.1 | 48.3 | 47.2 | 46.7 |
| Loss of appetite | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.9 | 15.3 |
| Disturbed sleep | 64.0 | 66.0 | 67.1 | 66.8 | 67.1 |
| General feeling of stress | 58.7 | 60.6 | 63.6 | 63.9 | 64.8 |
| Physical strain (for example, back) | 32.8 | 34.6 | 35.1 | 35.4 | 35.7 |
| Short tempered and/or irritable | 41.8 | 43.0 | 44.0 | 44.8 | 44.5 |
| Had to see own GP | 29.3 | 29.0 | 21.8 | 25.0 | 25.2 |
| Developed my own health conditions | 23.3 | 23.6 | 23.1 | 25.4 | 25.7 |
| Made an existing condition worse | 19.7 | 20.6 | 22.3 | 22.4 | 22.7 |
| Other | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| No, none of these | 9.7 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.0 |
The data behind figure 10 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Around a quarter (25.7%) of carers said they developed their own health conditions as a result of their caring roles. These results are the same as in 2023 to 2024.
Financial difficulties
Figure 11: Proportion (%) of responses to the question ‘In the last 12 months has caring caused you any financial difficulties?’, England, by survey year
| Response | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No, not at all | 54.4 | 53.4 | 57.2 | 53.4 | 53.9 |
| Yes, to some extent | 36.0 | 36.0 | 34.1 | 36.6 | 36.3 |
| Yes, a lot | 9.6 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 9.9 |
The data behind figure 11 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 11 shows over half of carers (53.9% or 167,900) reported their caring role had not caused any financial difficulties over the last 12 months. The proportion of carers that reported their caring role had caused them a lot of financial difficulties was 9.9% (30,730). Both proportions showed no change from 2023 to 2024.
Employment status
Figure 12: distribution (%) of carer’s employment status, England, by survey year
| Carer’s statement | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am not in paid employment because of my caring responsibilities | 21.0 | 22.6 | 21.4 | 20.4 | 19.5 |
| I am not in paid employment for other reasons (for example, retired) | 55.7 | 54.2 | 54.7 | 55.9 | 57.3 |
| I am in paid employment and I feel supported by my employer | 10.5 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 12.5 | 12.0 |
| I am in paid employment but I don’t feel supported by my employer | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| I do not need any support from my employer to combine work and caring | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| I am self-employed or retired and I am able to balance my work and caring | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| I am self-employed or retired but I am unable to balance my work and caring | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
The data behind figure 12 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 12 shows the proportion of carers that are not in paid employment due to their caring responsibilities was 19.5% (60,780) and showed no change from 2023 to 2024. There was an increase in the proportion of carers who were self-employed or retired and unable to balance work and caring.
Control
In total, 21.8% (67,820) of carers feel they have as much control over their daily life as they want, this compares to 15.1% (46,990) that feel they have no control over their daily life.
Time spent caring
Figure 13: distribution (%) of length of time caring, England, by survey year
| Length of time | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Over 6 months but less than a year | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Over 1 year but less than 3 years | 14.7 | 14.9 | 14.8 | 15.0 | 15.7 |
| Over 3 years but less than 5 years | 17.0 | 16.9 | 16.7 | 18.2 | 17.9 |
| Over 5 years but less than 10 years | 23.6 | 22.0 | 21.5 | 21.4 | 22.0 |
| Over 10 years but less than 15 years | 12.0 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 10.5 |
| Over 15 years but less than 20 years | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| 20 years or more | 21.4 | 23.5 | 24.5 | 24.8 | 23.9 |
The data behind figure 13 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 13 shows almost a quarter of carers (23.9% or 74,430) have spent 20 years or more looking after or helping the person they care for.
Figure 14: distribution (%) of weekly time spent caring, England, by survey year
| Time spent caring | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 9 hours per week | 5.6 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| 10 to 19 hours per week | 6.9 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 |
| 20 to 34 hours per week | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
| 35 to 49 hours per week | 8.2 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 9.8 |
| 50 to 74 hours per week | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| 75 to 99 hours per week | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 7.7 |
| 100 or more hours per week | 35.7 | 38.7 | 36.4 | 36.2 | 34.7 |
| Varies, but under 20 hours per week | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Varies, but 20 hours or more per week | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.7 |
| Other | 11.7 | 10.1 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 10.5 |
The data behind figure 14 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 14 shows over a third of carers (34.7%, 108,060) spend 100 hours or more looking after or helping the person they care for each week, which was a decrease from 2023 to 2024.
Carers health
Carers were asked if they had any of the following illnesses:
- physical impairment or disability
- sight or hearing loss
- mental health problem or illness
- learning disability or difficulty
- long-standing illness
- any other illness
In total, 38.9% (121,210) of carers had none of the illnesses or conditions listed and 29.0% (90,240) had a long-standing illness. There were no changes to the carer’s health from 2023 to 2024.
Quality of information and advice
Using information and advice to help as a carer
Figure 15: distribution (%) of responses to ‘Have you used information and advice to help you as a carer over the last 12 months?’, England, by survey year
| Question response | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 51.5 | 51.4 | 49.9 | 52.8 | 54.7 |
| No | 45.8 | 46.1 | 47.4 | 44.5 | 42.6 |
| Don’t know | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
The data behind figure 15 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 15 shows the proportion of carers that used information and advice to help them as a carer increased to 54.7% (170,500) from 52.8% (155,810) in 2023 to 2024. However, 42.6% (132,860) of carers did not use information and advice, but this was a decrease from 44.5% (131,170) in 2023 to 2024.
Ease of finding information
Figure 16: proportion (%) of carers by how they rate finding information and advice about support, services or benefits, England, by survey year
| Carer’s statement | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I have not tried to find information or advice in the last 12 months | 32.7 | 31.9 | 34.7 | 30.4 | 29.9 |
| Very easy to find | 11.4 | 11.1 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 10.3 |
| Fairly easy to find | 31.9 | 31.4 | 28.6 | 31.7 | 33.0 |
| Fairly difficult to find | 16.0 | 17.0 | 17.8 | 19.6 | 18.6 |
| Very difficult to find | 8.1 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 8.8 | 8.2 |
The data behind figure 16 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 16 shows the proportion of carers that have not tried to find information or advice about support, services or benefits in the last 12 months was 29.9% (93,090). The proportion of carers who found information and advice very easy to find showed an increase.
Helpfulness of information
Figure 17: excluding carers that had not received any information or advice, distribution (%) responses to ‘In the last 12 months, how helpful has the information and advice you have received been?’, England, by survey year
| Question response | 2016 to 2017 | 2018 to 2019 | 2021 to 2022 | 2023 to 2024 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very helpful | 31.4 | 31.6 | 28.2 | 28.2 | 29.6 |
| Quite helpful | 55.7 | 54.9 | 56.2 | 57.0 | 56.2 |
| Quite unhelpful | 8.9 | 9.6 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.0 |
| Very unhelpful | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
The data behind figure 17 can be found in table 1 of the accompanying ‘Survey of adult carers in England, 2025 to 2026: time series data’ on the Survey of adult carers in England: 2025 to 2026 report page.
Figure 17 shows that, excluding carers that had not received any information or advice in the last 12 months, 29.6% (92,350) of carers found the information and advice received very helpful, which increased from 28.2% in 2023 to 2024.
Carer’s needs and experiences of support
Overall satisfaction with support or services
Just over one-quarter (25.6% or 79,930) of carers answered they had not received support or services from the local authority in the last 12 months.
Excluding carers that had not received support or services in the last 12 months, 14.2% felt they were extremely satisfied with the support or services they received, an increase from 13.1% in 2023 to 2024. This compares to 4.2% that were extremely dissatisfied.
Feeling encouraged and supported
One-third (33.3% or 103,670) of carers felt they have been encouraged and supported in their caring role. The proportion that felt they had no encouragement or support decreased was 20.9%. Both proportions showed no change from 2023 to 2024.
Carers’ involvement in arranging services
Feeling involved or consulted
Almost one-third of carers (31.4% or 97,960) said they were not aware of discussions about the support services provided to the person they care for in the last 12 months. This was a decrease from 32.5% (95,900) in 2023 to 2024.
Excluding carers that answered there had not been discussions in the last 12 months, 38.1% (118,690) of carers said that they always felt involved or consulted in discussions, and 8.0% (24,840) of carers never felt involved or consulted in discussions.
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