Pioneering Project Generates £6.9m For Unpaid Carers and Supports Over 10,000 People

A landmark project to help boost the finances of unpaid carers has supported more than 10,000 people and generated £6.9m in potential income and savings.

Carer Money Matters gives support and advice on money for both carers and those they look after. It is funded by all four of the UK’s Gas Distribution Networks and delivered by national charity Carers Trust through its UK-wide network of local carer organisations.

From its launch last year up to the end of the first year of the programme in March 2025, the programme has supported over 10,000 carers and has generated £6.9 million in potential income and savings. The majority of these savings are expected to be ongoing, such as increased benefit entitlements or reduced utility costs.

One carer managed to boost their annual income by £13,000 thanks to the support on offer, while others have also benefited from £10,000 or more. For one carer, the advice she received even stopped her home being repossessed.

The UK has around six million unpaid carers – people who look after friends and family with a disability, illness or addiction. Around two-thirds have had to give up employment or cut back on working hours because of the pressure caring brings. This is driving many into poverty.
In a recent survey, Carers Trust found that 25% of carers have had to cut back on food, whilst 63% were worried about being able to afford energy bills. But because they spend so much time caring at home, they also use more energy for warmth and specialist equipment.

Carer Money Matters aims to tackle these issues by offering one-to-one support for carers most at risk of financial hardship.

Those taking part were offered a mix of help with benefits, budgeting and debt management, alongside one-off grants and vouchers for urgent needs, such as buying essential items and unexpected care costs.

The findings come from a new evaluation report on the programme’s first year by specialist economic and social research company Wavehill. It found most carers supported by the programme were not in paid work due to the pressure of their caring responsibilities. Many had low or no income, and over half had their own long-term health conditions.

Alongside a financial boost, carers also reported improved confidence, greater preparedness for future financial challenges, and reduced emotional stress, the Wavehill report found. Many said this had also helped improve the wellbeing of those they cared for.

Funding for Carer Money Matters has been provided as part of the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA). Gas pipeline and emergency service, Wales & West Utilities, are leading the partnership and work alongside Cadent, NGN and SGN to help support customers with fuel poverty and energy affordability and to help them maintain a safe and warm home.

Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Gas Distribution Networks whose funding has made this vital project possible. Carers up and down the country are facing rocketing bills and risk being plunged into poverty by the pressures of their caring role. This project is all about meeting that challenge head-on by giving carers the advice and support they need to make savings on fuel bills where they can, and to increase their income. I’m delighted that 10,000 carers have been supported so far and we hope even more carers will benefit from this crucial service.”