Over two in five (41%) working carers say they would not have a job without the option to work flexibly, new research* from Phoenix Group shows. This figure is significantly higher than among the working population at large (31%).
Ahead of Carers Week, the research by Phoenix Group, one of the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement businesses, also found that nearly two thirds (65%) of working carers would look for a new job if their current employer limited their ability to work flexible hours. The most recent Census 2021 data (provided by Carers UK) puts the estimated number of unpaid carers at 5 million in England and Wales, with a further 0.8 million in Scotland.**
More than half (55%) would start job hunting if their employer removed their working from home policy, while only 47% of the wider working population say they would do the same, highlighting the importance of comprehensive flexible working arrangements to keeping carers in the workforce.
It is estimated by Carers UK that more than 600 carers quit work to look after older and disabled relatives on a daily basis***. This is already having an impact on carers’ ability to save, with recent Phoenix Insights analysis finding that nearly half (47%) of carers have zero private pension savings at age 60 to 65. Among those aged 60 to 65, who do have pension savings, carers have 17% less than the UK average, representing a shortfall of nearly £37,000.****
Claire Hawkins, director of corporate affairs and brand at Phoenix Group and executive sponsor of Phoenix Group’s colleague Carers Network, said: "For millions of people, balancing paid work and caring for a loved one is a challenging reality*****. Too many carers are put in the unenviable position of having to choose between staying in work or caring for a loved one. That’s why it’s so important for businesses, who can benefit hugely from carers’ skills and experience, to recognise the need to enable them to work flexibly. Better access to flexible work, and the provision of paid carer’s leave, is crucial in enabling carers to remain in work for as long as they want to, so they can earn and save enough for their future."
The research also showed that more than a third (37%) of working carers have had a flexible work request refused by the business they worked for, compared to only a fifth (20%) of workers overall. This is despite 62% of carers saying they cannot fulfil their caring responsibilities unless they work flexibly. A further 62% said they believed they were more productive if they worked at home and nearly 7 in ten (68%) saying they were more productive because their employer allowed them to work flexible hours.
Previous research by Phoenix Insights, Phoenix Group’s longevity think tank, found that 59% of full-time working carers say they would return to work or increase their hours if they had the right support.******
Nearly four fifths (71%) of working carers said the government should make the right to flexible work mandatory for all employees, compared to 62% of the wider workforce, emphasising the particular importance of flexible work for people juggling work and caring responsibilities.
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK said: "Having a carer-friendly employer with great flexible working can be a game-changer for unpaid carers, helping them to juggle work and unpaid care for disabled, older or ill relatives or friends. Staying in work helps avoid financial hardship in the short and longer term. It’s a win-win for carers and for employers who retain talent, which is good for productivity and for the economy."
Carers Trust CEO, Kirsty McHugh said: "This vital research by Phoenix shows how employer support for carers can have a huge impact. Carers have a wealth of skills and experience that employers can benefit from. Sadly, too many are left with no choice but to cut back their hours or leave the workforce altogether because of their caring responsibilities. This not only limits their career growth but also means businesses miss out on dedicated, talented staff. The good news is, there are solutions. For those in work, flexible working and paid carers leave are absolutely crucial. For those out of work, specialist support from organisations who truly understand the challenges of caring is absolutely vital. Generic employment support does not work for unpaid carers – they need dedicated, specialist services."
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Phoenix Group has been working to raise awareness of the challenges faced by working carers and has taken a number of steps to support its colleagues which it encourages other businesses to consider too. These include:
Nathalie Lahiri
Account Manager
Lansons
John Stevenson
Public Relations Manager
Phoenix Group
* Polling conducted by Opinium on behalf of Phoenix Group among 4,000 UK adults either in employment or currently looking for employment between 12th - 25th March 2025.
** Census 2021, provided by Carers UK: This, together with the ONS Census data for Scotland and Northern Ireland suggests that the number of unpaid carers across the UK is 5.8 million.
***Carers UK research: More than 600 people quit work to look after older and disabled relatives everyday (February 2019)
****Phoenix Insights, The hidden financial penalty of caring (April 2025)
***** Centre for Social Justice, 2024, Creating a Britain that Works and Cares, supported by Phoenix Insights
******Census 2021, provided by Carers UK
Phoenix Group is one of the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business with c£290 billion of assets under administration.
As life expectancy continues to increase and the pension landscape continues to shift, we offer our 12 million customers a broad range of pensions, savings and life insurance products across our family of brands which include Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Our vision is to help even more people on their journey to and through retirement, providing the right support at the right time.
We are a growing and sustainable business united by a common purpose – helping people secure a life of possibilities. This drives everything we do and means taking responsible and sustainable investment decisions, and using our presence and voice to drive forward change for the better, for our customers, our colleagues, and our wider community.
A FTSE 100 company, we also feature in the FTSE100 ESG Select Index series and we are playing an active role in helping to invest in a sustainable future. As part of this, we have committed to our operations being net zero carbon by 2025 and for our investment portfolios we have set an interim target of a 50% reduction in the carbon emission intensity of c£250bn by 2030, as we progress towards our portfolios being net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner.
We have been recognised as a leading employer for many years. We are accredited as a Living Wage Employer, Living Pension Employer and as a Carer Positive Exemplary Employer for offering the best support to colleagues who are carers.
LinkedIn: Phoenix Group-UK X: @PhoenixGroupUK