Baroness Casey speaks at Carers UK conference

Published 14 May 2026

Today, the Chair of the Casey Commission, Baroness Casey of Blackstock, spoke at the Carers UK conference, on what the Independent Commission has heard from unpaid carers across England, including the emotional, practical and financial pressures many people face while supporting loved ones. 

Drawing on evidence gathered through the Commission’s engagement, she spoke about the complexity of navigating health and social care systems and the agony this creates for carers. She described a system which often leaves carers acting as unpaid “project managers”, trying to coordinate care, manage crises and fill gaps between organisations. 

Baroness Casey reflected on the emotional toll placed on carers by a system, leaving families to navigate complex support arrangements alone and making already difficult situations far harder than they need to be. She added that carers were not asking for “miracles”, but for greater clarity about what support exists, how to access it, and what families can reasonably expect from the state. 

The speech also reflected on the disproportionate impact which falls on women to act as carers and the need for an open conversation about fairness, responsibility, contribution and the split between the state and the individual. 

Read the verbatim transcript of the speech here: http://caseycommission.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Carers-UK-speech-Transcript.pdf