What the Unpaid Carers Action Plan means for your organisation - and how to prepare

The Unpaid Carers Action Plan: Recognise, Refer, Reach is the government's first-ever cross-departmental strategy for unpaid carers. 

Published on 14 July 2026, it sets out 42 actions for organisations with 250+ employees, and is jointly controlled by the Business and Trade, Education, Work and Pensions, and Health and Social Care departments.

That means that care policy in the UK is expanding out of the health department, and now has a foothold in employment policy. This could affect you if you lead HR or you sit on the executive team.

Here is a summary of exactly what the plan says:

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What the plan does and does not require of employers

As with any new action plan, there is some confusion about what it is asking for and what it isn't asking for. 

Importantly, the new action plan doesn't create any new legal duties for employers operating in England right now. The plan itself is a strategy document, not a piece of legislation, but it does signal the direction policymakers want to go.

The Employment Rights Act, published in December 2025, requires British employers with 250 or more employees to develop and publish their own Equality Action Plan. These plans have been voluntary since Spring 2026, but will become mandatory from Spring 2027, provided secondary legislation passes. Legally, employers' action plans must have at least one action designed to (a) support employees with menopause, and (b) address the gender pay gap.

So where does care work come into this picture? 

According to the policy document, unpaid care is a recognised driver of the gender pay gap. In fact, women who are involved in care are more likely to reduce their hours: carers are four times more likely than non-carers to quit their jobs altogether, and 88% say they've considered cutting their hours. Because of this, the action plan is calling on employers to find ways to support women in these roles.

The proposal therefore has a specific focus on employee work-life balance. Employers may be required to make changes to flexible working policies, and will be encouraged to show the active steps they are taking to support employees to balance work and care. 

The plan also sets out how carers themselves will be better recognised in the first place. This is through initiatives like: a new Carers' Charter, which sets out carers' rights and entitlements; the option to register as a carer on the NHS App, so that medical professionals can involve them in care planning; and a dedicated GOV.UK information page (launching Summer 2026) which will bring together health, social care, employment and benefits guidance all in one place. 

As recognition improves, employers should expect more employees to disclose caring responsibilities and look to them for support.

Upcoming important dates

There are some key dates that relate to the Unpaid Carer's Action Plan that are worth remembering, especially if you run a large organisation or you're the lead in an HR department:

1 September 2026

The government consultation on Make Work Pay: employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children will come to an end. 

The results of this review will likely determine the future policy direction. Early indications suggest that organisations will need to budget for the operational cost of carer's paid leave.

Winter 2026-27

The UK government is conducting a formal review of the effectiveness and take-up of the Carer's Leave Act 2023. 

It's expected that the review will propose that companies provide paid leave for carers and also give them the right to return to work after a period of paid leave, while caring for somebody else.

Spring 2027

After Spring 2027, Equality Action Plans will become mandatory for companies with 250 or more staff, provided legislation is approved. 

Changes to the Employment Rights Act, that will take place during a similar time period, will also make it more challenging for employers to refuse flexible working and paid leave requests.

Many forward-thinking businesses have already acted ahead of these deadlines, enhancing their existing care offerings rather than playing catch-up next year.

This is a workforce problem before it is a compliance problem

What is most important to understand about this new bill, is that it is primarily a workforce problem, not a compliance one. 

600 people a day leave work altogether because of their roles as carers at home.

According to the 2021 Census, there are 5.8 million unpaid carers in England - that’s nearly one in 10 people. 

More broadly across the UK, around 1 in 5 adults - 10.6 million people - are carers, and 7.7 million of them are juggling this alongside paid work, many for more than 33 hours a week on top of their job. 

A further 3 million employees need care themselves. Therefore, most companies employing more than 250 people will already likely employ carers - and quite possibly people who need their own care too.

Working carers find it difficult to balance employment and caring responsibilities. Carers UK's State of Caring 2025 survey found that 21% moved to lower-paid jobs or more junior roles to manage their responsibilities, and 35% had to reduce their hours. 

Further research from Carers Trust, Simplyhealth and Business in the Community paints a similarly stark picture: unpaid caring is linked to a 25% drop in presenteeism, 83% of carers in work report depression, and 80% of carers say they've considered leaving the workforce altogether. 

The largest demographic within the workforce is now aged 40+ - the age bracket that is most likely to be balancing a career with caring for an ageing parent - so this is a problem that's only going to get bigger.

Addressing the carers within your business shouldn’t be seen as a tickbox exercise here - supporting this demographic can have a material impact on culture, absenteeism and employee retention.

What to do before Spring 2027

Getting ahead of the curve is about more than ticking a legislative box. It's about showing up earlier - and more thoughtfully - for the carers in your organisation.

If you are a business that employs more than 250 people, here are a few things you can do before Spring 2027:

1. Understand the stats within your own organisation

The starting point is understanding how this impacts you. We recommend investigating how many carers you have in your organisation already.

This isn't always straightforward, as many carers don't recognise themselves as such. A survey to collect this data will need to be paired with an awareness campaign, so that you can build the most accurate picture.

2. Check whether your carers' leave packages are operational right now or require further approvals.

Many carers' leave packages exist on paper but haven't been tested in practice. Check with your HR team that they know how to process a request today.

3. Introduce compulsory manager training 

Opening up about life at home can be challenging. Manager training on the reality of caring, and what to look out for, can support early signposting and help to build more awareness internally. 

This is also a step that's already a core part of the menopause action plan.

4. Rehearse your strategy to reduce the risk of penalties

Walk through a few likely scenarios with your HR team now, like a flexible working request being refused or leave being logged inconsistently across teams. It's easier to fix these gaps now than after the fact.

5. Consider the use of care passports

A care passport is a short, agreed note that sits with an employee's file, setting out their caring responsibilities and what support's already been agreed with their manager.

This allows carers to record their circumstances with managers, removing the need to re-disclose their situation repeatedly.

6. Address the current level of support for your organisation’s carers

Assess the support you already have in place that actively supports a working carer.

Do you offer enough day-to-day flexibility or leave? 

Could you go a step further, and support them on their practical challenges, like sourcing care, legal support or funding options?

7. Make sure your carers know what they're entitled to 

The Carer's Allowance earnings limit has risen, and eligible carers can now receive an extra £2,500 a year through Universal Credit or Pension Credit. 

Many working carers don't realise this, and you can help them to understand what is available to them.

8. Decide whether you require support to assist during this transition period

This one's for you as an organisation. Do you understand what is required of you?

And do you have the capacity to audit and provide this help internally, or would a custom solution be a better fit?

Getting help from a specialist provider

Meeting the new statutory requirements and regulations before 2027 may be challenging if you run a large organisation. KareHero is an organisation already set up to help your team. 

We offer practical 1-2-1 support for the carers in your organisation, focusing on the tasks that are the hardest and the most time-consuming to navigate alone. That includes specialist legal guidance, sourcing the right care, and helping to identify - and apply for - the funding they’re eligible for. We unlock over £16.2 million in funding every year, and so far we’ve provided protection for over 1.4M families going through this journey.

For your HR team, this turns a difficult problem into an easy solution. Your employees receive the tailored help they need at the point of crisis, and you’ve covered an action plan in line with the proposed legislation. No improvisation, and no rushed blanket, tickbox solution.

If you’re still understanding how your existing benefits and policies help carers - and how you stack up up against your peers - take our 5-minute quiz, ‘Are you prepared for the government's upcoming changes?’ 

For those of you looking to get ahead, find out more on a 15-minute call with one of our team: book a demo.

Or see for yourself how we've partnered with other employers, like TSB, to improve their carer support: TSB's caregiver challenge case study

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