OU academics expose the hidden inequalities facing unpaid carers

Unpaid carers, sometimes described as society’s “invisible army”, are being pushed to the brink by rising costs, shrinking statutory provision and entrenched inequalities, according to new research led by The Open University (OU).

A special issue of the International Journal of Care and Caring, has been co-edited by Dr Dan Taylor, Dr Jitka Vseteckova and Dr Jodi Wainwright from the OU, bringing together international scholarship on unpaid care, poverty and inequality at a time when demand for support is outstripping supply across the globe.

Dr Taylor said: “Too often unpaid carers are treated as an inexhaustible resource. This research highlights that supporting and empowering carers is not just a private matter. It is a political choice with profound consequences for society.”

The collection of articles reveals how unpaid care responsibilities disproportionately fall on women, minority ethnic groups, lower-income households and those in mid-life “sandwich” generations, who are juggling care for both children and older relatives. Many face impossible choices between employment, education and family responsibilities, often leading to financial hardship, social isolation and long-term insecurity.

The research highlights the urgent need for governments and policymakers to rethink how unpaid care is valued, recognised and supported. It also calls for a greater focus on the intersecting inequalities that shape carers’ experiences, from gender and age to ethnicity, region and class.

Dr Vseteckova said, “Unpaid carers play an essential role in holding society together, yet they remain undervalued and under-supported. This work shows the scale of the challenge, and the opportunity to do better.” Dr Wainwright added, “Carers’ voices must be heard if we are to design fairer, more compassionate systems of support.”

For The Open University, the special issue reflects its mission to deliver research with real social impact and to champion equality and justice. By amplifying the voices and experiences of carers worldwide, the OU is helping to reframe care not as an invisible duty but as a vital cornerstone of society.