A MIG for carers could be the transformational change that unpaid carers deserve

• Written by: Fiona Collie — Carers Scotland — Head of Public Affairs and Communications, Scotland
• Published: 10th April 2025

Too many carers simply cannot make ends meet, but a Minimum Income Guarantee could be the solution.

There are 627,715 unpaid carers in Scotland, an increase in the number of carers and in those providing more hours of care since the last Census. Reliance on carers has risen, significantly, with too many providing care with little or no support from health and social care services. Recent research found that over half (59%) of carers who had tried to get help said that support services were not there when they needed them[1].

Scotland’s reliance on unpaid care is increasing and, with an ageing population, will continue to grow. However, Scotland’s support for carers must change.

Despite saving £15.9 billion each year[2], caring comes at a great individual cost – with higher levels of poverty and poorer health than non-carers. For many, their ability to be in paid work is restricted, forced to give up work to care or reduce their working hours, damaging their earning/career prospects and ability to save for retirement[3].

Carers Scotland’s recent research (March 2025) on carers’ health found that over a third (36%) of carers had bad/very bad mental health and a quarter (28%) bad/very bad physical health. For those who are struggling financially, this rises to an alarming 59% of carers living with poor mental health and 49% with poor physical health[4].

Carers are 56% more likely to be living in poverty than non-carers, with research showing that 28% of all carers experienced poverty, rising to a shocking 60% of those in receipt of a carer element/addition in a means tested benefit.[5]

Too many carers simply cannot make ends meet, building debt, using foodbanks and cutting back on essentials just to get by[6].  With such financial strain alongside a lack of support and poor health, it is therefore not surprising that 56% said they often or always feel overwhelmed by their caring role.

Real and lasting action is urgently needed to change carers’ lives and the joint Carers Scotland/IPPR Scotland proposal sets out how we can begin to do this with a Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for unpaid carers. The Scottish Government can and must harness its powers to pilot such a MIG for carers, beginning with those on the lowest incomes. 

The proposed pilot would not only seek to increase income and reduce costs but also to help carers, through an enhanced Adult Carer Support Plan and local networks, to access holistic support – support that is urgently needed to reduce the huge impact of caring on health and wellbeing. Such a pilot would test and measure outcomes and support the development of a wider MIG for all carers.

A MIG for carers could be the transformational change that unpaid carers deserve. The Scottish Government and parties in the Scottish Parliament must work together to take greater steps to improve opportunities and reduce the inequality, poverty and ill health carers experience. We urge all parties now and in the upcoming Scottish election to offer their support for a MIG for carers – and change the price we expect carers to pay for caring.

Read the report at: https://www.carersuk.org/media/4gkfv3do/carers_scotland_mig_web.pdf

[1] State of Caring State of Caring 2024 – Health and Social Care Support, Carers Scotland 03/2025

[2] Valuing Carers 2022: Scotland, Carers Scotland and Centre for Care, November 2024

[3] State of Caring State of Caring 2024 – Paid work and access to employment for unpaid carers, Carers Scotland 02/2025

[4] State of Caring State of Caring 2024 – Health and Social Care Support, Carers Scotland 03/2025

[5] Poverty and financial hardship of unpaid carers in Scotland, Carers Scotland, WPI Economics and abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, 2024

[6] State of Caring, Carers Scotland 2024

End of page.