NUCUF Founder - Leo Cleary
About the Founder
Find out more about the Founder of the National Unpaid Carers Union and Forum by reading his "Carers Lives" story.
NUCUF Founder - Leo Cleary
Find out more about the Founder of the National Unpaid Carers Union and Forum by reading his "Carers Lives" story.
The NUCUF Story
The National Unpaid Carers Union and Forum began with a simple but urgent call for change. In early June 2024, NUCUF launched a national petition highlighting the financial hardship, emotional strain, and systemic barriers faced by unpaid carers across the UK.
The petition set out a clear message: carers deserve recognition, fair treatment, and meaningful support from government. What started as a grassroots effort quickly resonated with thousands of families who had long felt overlooked.
This moment marked the beginning of NUCUF’s public campaign — a movement built on lived experience, collective frustration, and a determination to secure justice for unpaid carers.
What happened next was unprecedented. Within just eight days of launching the petition, more than 52,000 unpaid carers, families, and supporters added their names. The scale and speed of the response revealed something unmistakable: the country had been waiting for someone to speak up.
The petition spread rapidly through social media, carer networks, and community groups, fuelled by stories of exhaustion, financial strain, and the quiet resilience of people caring for loved ones behind closed doors.
This surge transformed NUCUF from a small grassroots effort into a national movement. The message was clear — unpaid carers were no longer willing to be invisible, and the public was ready to stand with them.
"The petition had be steadily rising - a few a day really, then on the 8th day it shot up overnight. It was up to almost 52,000 signatures. That's when I realised something needed to be done"
– Leo Cleary, Founder
With momentum building and thousands of carers rallying behind the campaign, NUCUF took its first major step toward becoming a formal organisation. On 16 March 2025, the founding members drafted and agreed the NUCUF constitution — the document that set out the union’s purpose, values, and structure.
This was more than paperwork. It marked the moment NUCUF shifted from a fast‑growing movement into a structured, accountable body capable of representing unpaid carers at a national level. The constitution established how decisions would be made, how members would be supported, and how NUCUF would speak with one clear, united voice.
From this point forward, NUCUF wasn’t just a campaign — it was an organisation built to last.
On 9 April 2025, NUCUF took a decisive step from movement to institution. The organisation was formally registered at Companies House, establishing NUCUF as a recognised legal entity with the authority to represent unpaid carers at a national level.
This milestone transformed NUCUF’s growing momentum into a structured, accountable organisation capable of engaging directly with government, policymakers, and public bodies. Registration provided the foundation for transparency, governance, and long‑term stability — essential for a campaign determined to secure lasting change.
From this point forward, NUCUF wasn’t just speaking for carers. It was standing as their official voice.
By the end of June 2025, NUCUF took its strongest step yet. After months of rising pressure to carers, evidence gathering, and growing national support, the organisation wrote directly to the Prime Minister to demand urgent action on the crisis facing unpaid carers.
The letter set out the stark reality: carers were being pushed into poverty, forced out of work, and left without meaningful support. It called for immediate intervention, a full review of Carer’s Allowance, and recognition of the essential role unpaid carers play in the UK’s social care system.
This was a decisive escalation. NUCUF moved beyond consultation and public campaigning to confront the highest level of government with a clear, uncompromising message — the situation was unsustainable, and carers could not wait any longer.
In October 2025, the Prime Minister publicly announced that the government would launch a full review of Carer’s Allowance — a direct response to the growing national pressure led by NUCUF and thousands of unpaid carers across the UK.
The announcement marked a turning point. For the first time, the government formally acknowledged the scale of the crisis facing carers and committed to examining the system that had left so many struggling. This was not a symbolic gesture; it was a recognition that the voices of unpaid carers could no longer be ignored.
NUCUF’s campaigning, evidence, and direct engagement with government had helped force the issue onto the national agenda. The review signalled that meaningful reform was finally within reach.
As the Sayce Review began its work in late 2025, NUCUF submitted a comprehensive body of evidence drawn from thousands of unpaid carers across the UK. This submission included financial analysis, case studies, survey data, and detailed policy recommendations — all aimed at exposing the realities of caring and the urgent need for reform.
NUCUF’s contribution ensured that the voices of unpaid carers were not only heard but formally recorded within the national review process. The organisation provided clarity on the systemic failures affecting carers, highlighting the financial penalties, employment barriers, and emotional strain that had long been overlooked.
This was a defining moment in the campaign. NUCUF was no longer advocating from the outside — it was shaping the evidence base at the heart of a major government review.
When the Sayce Review was published in early 2026, it confirmed what unpaid carers had been saying for years — the system was failing them. The final report highlighted widespread financial hardship, barriers to employment, and the emotional toll placed on families providing essential care.
Crucially, NUCUF’s evidence and testimony were formally cited within the review. The organisation’s data, case studies, and policy recommendations helped shape key sections of the report, ensuring that the lived experiences of unpaid carers were represented at the highest level.
For the first time, NUCUF’s work appeared in an official national document, marking a significant moment of recognition. The publication of the review validated the campaign’s efforts and demonstrated the power of collective action in driving policy change.