Unpaid Carers in the Armed Forces Community

Summary: This report begins to explore the needs of the under-researched section of the Armed Forces community, unpaid carers, and we hope it is just the opening chapter of a much needed dialogue. Further research is necessary to form a picture of these carers and the people that they care for, enabling the UK Armed Forces sector, care providers, and wider charitable and statutory services to support them more effectively. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen increased pressures placed upon unpaid carers, giving this work new urgency. For the purposes of this report, a carer is someone who provides unpaid support to another person who requires help due to their own health needs. The person requiring help could be of any age. Those requiring support may have different levels of care needs. The help or support the carer provides might include personal care and help with everyday tasks, emotional care, managing finances, or transport. This research is not about paid care workers, who provide care as part of their employment.