A report from the Resolution Foundation highlights a rising "unsung army" of 1 million people in the UK who provide full-time unpaid care. These carers spend at least 35 hours a week tending to family members, often leaving them unable to hold paid jobs. The problem is worst in poorer families, where nearly one in three working-age adults have a disability compared to fewer than one in five in richer homes. Mike Brewer, deputy chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said, "Britain is getting older and sicker, while a greater share of its population has a disability. While these trends affect the whole of society, they are starkest in the poorest half of working-age families across the country." He added, "While we talk a lot about the effects of ageing and ill-health, the implications on demand for unpaid care is largely absent from political debate. That’s despite Britain having an ‘unsung army’ of 1 million people who do at least 35 hours of unpaid care work every week – equivalent to a full-time job. It is time to provide better support for these carers and their families, just as we have done with working parents in recent decades." A government spokesperson responded: "We understand the huge difference carers make, as well as the struggles they may face. That’s why we’ve delivered the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for carer’s allowance, whilst unpaid carers can also receive support, including short breaks and respite services, through the Better Care Fund. Alongside this, we are reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and considering the benefits of introducing paid carer’s leave." In 2024, a Guardian investigation found that tens of thousands of unpaid carers, mostly already in poverty, were wrongly charged large bills due to errors by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Despite promises in 2019 by DWP to use new technology to stop overpayments, more than 262,000 overpayments totaling over £325 million were recovered from carers, and 600 carers were prosecuted and got criminal records, the National Audit Office reported. Following this, Labour started an independent review of carer’s allowance and pushed to raise the earnings limit for those claiming it.