2026 Carers Manifesto: Supporting Unpaid and Young Carers in Scotland
Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, the National Carer Organisations have launched the 2026 Carers Manifesto, Supporting unpaid carers and young carers in 2026 and beyond. This manifesto urges all political parties to commit to supporting unpaid carers – recognising that 3 in 5 of us will become carers at some point in our lives.
The manifesto outlines three key themes and 10 policy asks:
1. Support unpaid carers
- Ensure carers can access the support they need
- Guarantee the right to a meaningful break
- Allocate at least 25% of Carers Act funding to local carers’ organisations
- Introduce mandatory Young Carer Awareness Training for all education staff
2. Help carers stay well
- Deliver a national strategy to tackle health inequalities for carers
- Provide annual health checks and flexible healthcare access
- Ensure local mental health and wellbeing support is available
3. Ensure financial security
- Increase and expand Carer Support Payment, including for older carers
- Introduce a Minimum Income Guarantee for unpaid carers
- Require publicly funded organisations to be Carer Positive
- End all charges for social care
This manifesto is a call to action. Supporting unpaid carers should be a policy priority for all political parties in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.
You can download the 2026 Carers Manifesto here.
