Lottie Launches ‘A Carers Christmas’ Campaign To Celebrate 7.3 Million Unsung Carers In the UK

This Christmas, 7.3 million people - equivalent to one in ten in the UK - will balance caregiving with festivities. Our "A Carers Christmas” campaign celebrates their invaluable contributions with a Love Actually-inspired video of residents from Chorleywood Manor Care Home (owned by Avery Healthcare). Check out this video below!

Moreover, we’re giving away three £250 Airbnb vouchers to help carers enjoy a much-needed getaway. Nominations are open from the 21st of November until the 13th of December for paid and unpaid carers across the UK.

We’re Calling On People Nationwide To Nominate Care Workers and Share Their Inspiring Stories

Our research has found that 7.3 million people in the UK have caregiving responsibilities - equivalent to just over 1 in 10 people.

This Christmas, unpaid carers in particular are facing financial challenges, as they’re expected to be out of pocket by an average of £2,013 when balancing caregiving and additional festive costs. At the same time, the care sector continues to struggle with workforce shortages, with one in 12 positions vacant. These pressures have left millions of carers at breaking point, both financially and emotionally.

That’s why we're excited to launch our Carers Christmas Giveaway 2024, and we encourage the nation to get behind it! Three carers will be randomly selected to win a £250 Airbnb voucher, giving them the chance to enjoy a well-deserved break at a destination of their choice. Nominate a care worker you know to win an Airbnb getaway.

Whether it’s a cosy countryside retreat or a vibrant city getaway, this is our way of saying thank you for everything carers do year-round. While only three winners will be chosen, our goal is to raise awareness and champion the incredible work of all paid and unpaid carers. We urge carers across the country to share their stories and experiences, nominate themselves or fellow carers, and help us shine a light on their vital role in the lives of so many.

Lottie’s Carers Christmas Giveaway - Everything You Need To Know

Carers can self-nominate for a chance to win an Airbnb voucher worth £250, or be nominated by someone else. Entries are open from the 21st of November to the 13th of December 2024.

We encourage paid and unpaid carers to participate in this initiative, showing gratitude for their invaluable contributions. Three winners will be chosen at random.

Click here to learn more about Lottie’s Carers Christmas Giveaway, including how to nominate a carer.

Methodology:

1. We sought to find the number of carers in the UK - both paid and unpaid:

• Skills for Care reports that there are 1.52 million carers in the social care workforce
• Carers UK states that there are 5.8 million unpaid carers.
• By adding the two figures (1.52 million + 5.8 million), we get a total of 7.3 million carers
• This total represents approximately 10% of the UK population (7.3 million out of 68.3 million)
• Our analysis concludes that just over one in ten people in the UK will be balancing caregiving responsibilities with holiday festivities this winter

2. We sought to find the out-of-pocket expenses unpaid carers face during Christmas. We gathered data to estimate the cost, using figures taken from the sources below to work out an average:

• ONS Census Data: % of unpaid carers in 2023 across the UK
• Numbeo: Average cost of living (excluding rent) in the UK
• Numbeo: Average cost of rent, single person, outside city centre (UK average)
• Numbeo: Average net salary (after tax - UK average)
• GOV UK: Carer’s Allowance (4 weekly amount)
• Money Charity: Average UK household cost of Christmas expenses

3. We aimed to determine the number of vacant jobs in the care sector throughout the year:

• The analysis uses data from Skills for Care, which tracks vacancy rates within the sector
• According to Skills for Care, the vacancy rate in the care sector is 8.3%
• An 8.3% vacancy rate translates to 1 in 12 jobs being vacant, indicating a significant shortfall in staffing within the sector

Lottie matches care seekers with the best care homes for their needs. You can request a free list of care homes from our care experts, who will share homes that match your budget, location and type of care needed. You can also search for a care home through our easy-to-use directory.