The expectations of informal carers

In early 2024, Lindsey Burrows highlighted the challenges of being the carer of Rob Burrows, the former Leeds Rhino scrum half who had motor neurone disease. The documentary also shone a light on the demanding role of being an unpaid carer, which is currently estimated to be worth about £162 billion a year in England and Wales (ITV, 2024). The under-recognised contribution of carers is not new and was evident in the early 2000s while I was undertaking research in the field of multiple sclerosis (Forbes et al, 2007; Corry and While, 2009). Recent media headlines in the UK have focused on the financial aspects of being a carer, with outcry over the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeking repayment following overpayment, which breached the strict earnings limit for the Carer's Allowance (Whitworth and Smith, 2024). This is despite the overpayment only affecting a small minority of the recipients of the Carer's Allowance.