The initiative, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), focuses on the West Midlands and South Yorkshire. It seeks to gather vital data on the daily lives of individuals who look after family members, friends, or neighbours without payment.
Councillor Linda Bigham, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, highlighted the importance of the survey, stating, “The data available about the scale and extent of unpaid care is still limited, and we want to reach out to carers – especially those who are unknown to our services.” She noted that the person being cared for might have a physical or learning disability, dementia, mental health problems, or be ill or frail, and may live with or elsewhere.
Unpaid carers provide the majority of long-term support in England, yet comprehensive data on their circumstances, health, wellbeing, work, and finances remains scarce. This co-designed survey aims to bridge that gap by collecting anonymous responses to inform policymakers and local councils.
Without enough reliable information on unpaid carers, it’s harder for policymakers and local councils to provide the right support, and unpaid carers suffer as a result. This is your chance to change that.
The Survey of Carers is open until 14 December 2026. Participants can complete the survey online at http://surveyofcarers.com/takepart. All responses are guaranteed to be 100% anonymous.
