Unpaid Work Calculator
The hidden cost of unpaid care
Millions of UK adults in the sandwich generation - those balancing childcare with supporting ageing relatives - are providing an estimated £16,773[1]worth of unpaid work every year. From cooking and cleaning to laundry and transport, these invisible contributions add up fast, yet often go unrecognised in financial planning.
Our research shows that if a carer were to pass away, families could face a shortfall of more than £160,000 over ten years - and that’s before considering mortgages, bills or children’s savings.
Suzanne Bourne, Chief Carer Officer and Co-Founder of Mobilise, said: “So many of us in the sandwich generation are caring without calling it that. Driving parents to appointments, sorting out paperwork, squeezing in an extra shopping trip. It just feels like what we do for our family. But if we don’t see it as caring, we miss out on support, flexible working and financial help we may be entitled to. In our 2026 survey of nearly a thousand Mobilise carers, 63% were worried about money and 23% lacked the time or energy to manage their finances at all. Recognising yourself as a carer is the first step to getting support.”
Introducing the ‘Cost of Unpaid Work Calculator’
To help families see the true financial value of the care they provide, we’ve created a ‘Cost of Unpaid Work Calculator’[2] that works out the equivalent weekly and yearly salaries of everyday tasks.
The calculator has been designed to help parents assess whether their life insurance payout would be enough to replace their hidden contributions if the worst were to happen.
Explore the rates for your unpaid work below:
For Rachel, 54, from Colchester, the pressures of unpaid caring are a daily reality, as she balances supporting multiple generations of her family with little time for herself.
Rachel cares for her husband, aged 61, who developed early-onset dementia following a brain haemorrhage and an ischaemic stroke, as well as their 12-year-old daughter and her husband's parents, aged 86 and 92. Her eldest daughter is currently at university.
“I do it because I love them, and being cared for by someone who knows you well makes a huge difference. In the past week, I had four and a half hours when I wasn’t providing care or supervision for my husband. It’s constant vigilance, adapting as the dementia progresses. The hardest days are when I go from one person to another without a break. The best bits are when we connect as a family and have a laugh.”
Reviewed on 3 Nov 2026
Sources and supporting information
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[1]
The calculation of unpaid work is based on two categories: unpaid childcare and unpaid household work (including unpaid adult care and volunteering)
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[2]
Calculations are based on the current 2026 inflation rate
