Two million quit work to care for a sick loved one

More than two million people in the UK have given up work to care for disabled, sick or elderly relatives and loved ones, according to a survey.

More than one in five of the adult population – 22 per cent – has seen their work affected by caring responsibilities, with an estimated 2.3 million leaving jobs to care for a loved one, an online poll for the charity Carers UK has shown.

Almost three million people have reduced their working hours to cope with caring responsibilities. The hardest hit were 45- to 54-year-olds, where 27 per cent reported that caring had taken a toll on their work.