Too many unpaid carers in the UK are struggling by on their own, unseen by policy makers. Taking inspiration from the union movement, says Hannah Webster of Care Full, it’s time to build the collective solidarity that can amplify our demands for an economy that values and supports us – and lifts carers out of poverty.
Those of us who have regular caring roles, or whose care is vital to the wellbeing of others or ourselves are at the sharp end of an economy that devalues that caring experience. It’s something I’ve seen first-hand: having to change work then leave regular paid employment altogether to put care first, leaving me financially more insecure and much more stressed.
Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in their annual poverty report finds that unpaid carers, disabled people and single parents are more likely to experience poverty. Each of these groups has a relationship with care.
Caring about equality
My own experience – and that of millions of other carers in the UK – show us how carers and caring activities aren’t treated equally or valued fairly in the economic systems that surround us. That’s why this year’s Carers Week theme of caring about equality resonates so strongly with us and with the work we’re doing at Care Full. The devaluing of care and carers has, we believe, deep roots in people’s understanding of what the economy is and who it’s for. In fact, the way unpaid carers are treated in our economy was the motivation behind us setting up our organisation to advocate for systemic change.
We can see the stark difference between the value placed on unpaid care versus paid jobs in the design of the UK social security system. This is increasingly designed to encourage people into paid work at the expense of all else. Often that’s just not possible for those who care, and even when it is the type of paid work that might be suitable – flexible or part-time – that comes with its own financial penalties.
So, if we are really to care about equality, at Care Full we believe we need to interrogate what kind of economy we are part of, and whether it can deliver equality. Our current model simply isn’t working for carers: but what about one that centred care by design? How would we get there?
Building a collective movement for a care-centred economy
How can we press for change? While different types of care have unique challenges, we think the shared goal of changing an economy that devalues care in all its forms can unite us in a collective movement for change.
Too many unpaid carers are struggling on their own: unpaid care is still today often individualised and often referred to as hidden. We need a movement that can connect individual carers to amplify their voices. At Care Full, we’ve been exploring what a care-led movement would look like, specifically built on solidarity across different experiences of care. We are seeing a more inclusive understanding about the future of care and work together, to ensure all our voices are heard on the path to greater equality.
When it comes to unpaid care the shift to collective solidarity still needs to happen. This work will echo union movements across the globe which recognise the power in collective action. Acts of solidarity that connect workers and workforces amplify calls for change and turn an individualised experience of work into a collective one. In environments where power is tightly held within the status quo they show the power of cooperation in shifting the dial.
A collective movement that builds solidarity will also challenge the assumption built into our economy that we are individual units of economic productivity, instead connecting us to each other, the wider society and the planet. But in our conversations, we’ve seen how power structures that devalue different types of unpaid care also devalue paid care work, health care and more. We’ve seen the interconnected mindsets behind our economy that mean disabled people and those living with long term health conditions – some of whom are supported by care – are also excluded and not being treated equally.
We can look to examples globally of collective structures. In the US, for example, Caring Across Generations is just one organisation working to bring together a coalition of those who are “touched by care”, framing care as a shared justice issue.
Over the coming months we’ll continue to explore what a movement like this might look like here in the UK and to start to look at what a system that works for carers could look like. We hope to find kindred spirits to connect with around care and imagine a fairer future for us all. If you want to join us, we’d love to hear from you.
Hannah Webster is co-founder of Care Full, a new organisation exploring the potential for care in a new economy.
This blog also appears as the final post in a series of Oxfam blogs on our Views and Voices website around Carers Week in the UK, which ran from June 9 to 15.
Care Full has also launched a new paper on the theme of the above blog: Care for each other: an exploration of the potential for a solidarity movement around care