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The Story of the NUCUF

Find out more about the National Unpaid Carers Union.

How it started, what the NUCUF is about and our plans for the future of Unpaid Caring

Carers Allowance in the early 20's

I became a carer to my Mother In Law in 2022, not long after the loss of my Father in Law. As with anyone from an older generation, he worked hard and did his best to care for his wife, but after contacting Covid in the first wave, there was nothing we could do.

When I took over the caring role, DWP told me to claim Carers Allowance, they told me I would be able to care for her without needing to look for work, as my 24/7 caring prevented it.

They also said, if I needed support, it would be there.

It wasn't.

Petition begins

That was when I noticed that 144,000 people were being convicted of fraud.

These people were not criminals, they were and still are vulnerable people protecting the people they love, while saving the county billions.

They keep the NHS afloat, prevent further hospital admissions and do it 24/7 without respite.

The response

The response was overwhelming - 51,000 signatures in just a matter of weeks was clear evidence that something needed to be done.

Unpaid Carers needed a National Voice - A voice that truly represented their needs, a coalition of people who understand what it means to be a "family caregiver".

The struggles, sleepless nights, endless bills and lack of financial support, while vulnerable people were having their lives destroyed by the system.

From Petitioner to Activist

Having reached out to many of the those who signed the petition, a small group of carers got together and created the NUCUF. The National Unpaid Carers Union and Forum.

It's purpose - to create better conditions for Unpaid Carers; those in employment through better Employment Rights and those not employed, by negotiating a better rate of pay from Government.

They wanted to hear from us

In April 2025, NUCUF was contacted directly by the Sayce Review — the government’s independent investigation into Carer’s Allowance overpayments  and asked to provide evidence.

This happened before NUCUF had formal publications or institutional backing.

The review team sought NUCUF’s testimony because carers trusted NUCUF, the petition had exposed the scale of the crisis, and NUCUF held evidence no other organisation possessed.

This moment marked NUCUF’s recognition as a national stakeholder and confirmed its role as the authentic voice of unpaid carers.

NUCUF was now fully operational

NUCUF was formally registered as a Community Interest Company at Companies House.

We had provided testimony to the Sayce review - NUCUF was now positioning itself to become the official amplifier for Unpaid Carers.

The direction of NUCUF is - wherever Unpaid Carers take us. We will continue to fight for the rights of Unpaid Carers, ensuring we all have the right to fair pay for the work we do.

Respite rights to be given to every Carer who provide care to a loved one.

Increased paid leave for Carers in Employment

and Safety and Stability for the millions who prevent our National Health Service from collapse.

A diplomatic response

NUCUF created the first National Vote, allowing Unpaid Carers the chance to decide whether they wanted NUCUF to represent them.

Votes came from all corners of the UK, and included comments from former NHS Nurses, Social Workers, Local and County Councillors, and many others.

A friendship to last

We reached out to Mobilise - The UK's number 1 digital community for Unpaid Carers.

With over 70,000 members we were allowed to use their opinion polls, gained valuable insight through conversations with members, and testimonies we received during the Sayce Reviwe to aid us in the creation of our National Blueprint.

From relationships to Partnerships

During Carers Week 2026, our new partner Mike O'Brien reached out to us.

During carers week we hosted Mikes blog on our webpage. Mike is the Co - Founder of Voices - ADFOCAD. A Welsh organisation representing Unpaid Carers across Wales.

Voices - ADFOCAD and NUCUF joined forces to create a campaign that dismisses borders and seeks to unify support provided for unpaid carers across the nation.

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