Unpaid Carers

Lord Sharpe of Epsom Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, I totally agree with my noble friend that supporting unpaid carers is both a moral and economic imperative. When experienced people are forced to leave work, we lose their skills, productivity and contribution to our economy. That is why we are reviewing employment rights for unpaid carers, including paid leave and wider workplace support. But this goes beyond employment rights. We must also consider how healthcare, social care and employers can better support carers to remain in work.

[Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister is quite right that this goes beyond employment rights. The chief executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green, warned that the Government’s changes to employer national insurance contributions would leave many care organisations

“on the brink of bankruptcy”.

During the passage of the national insurance contributions Bill, His Majesty’s Official Opposition pressed the Government to exempt adult social care from these damaging provisions, but the Government rejected that exemption for no good reason. Will they now think again and exempt adult social care providers from these employer national insurance changes before more essential care provision—provision on which so many vulnerable people so desperately depend—is lost?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I hear what the noble Lord says about national insurance, but let me say this. There is a moral imperative on employers to play their part in supporting unpaid carers. There are fantastic employers up and down this country that are doing fantastic things to support carers. I shall give an example: Centrica estimates savings of £1.5 million last year in reduced absence costs alone, achieved through support measures for unpaid carers, with further savings on retention. So these measures result in improved retention, better productivity and reduced absence from work.