A Message for Carers as We Move Into 2026
As we move into 2026, many carers are starting the year feeling worn down. Caring can be constant. It can also be quiet. You keep going because someone needs you. Still, the tiredness can build. So can the stress.
That is why a new message for carers from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of Carers Trust, has landed with such weight this month. In her message, published on 12 January 2026, she acknowledges what so many carers already know: the last year has been hard, and too many people are struggling to get the breaks and support they need.
Why this message matters
Carers often describe the same pattern. They cope. They adapt. Then they cope again.
However, caring can come at a cost. It can affect your health, your finances, and your relationships. It can also leave you isolated, especially when support feels difficult to access.
In her message, The Princess Royal recognises this reality. She describes carers as the backbone of society. She also highlights the emotional and financial impact caring can bring, even when it is done out of love.
That matters because recognition is not just a nice sentiment. It is a starting point. When carers feel seen, it becomes easier to ask for help. It also becomes harder for the system to look away.
What support can look like in practice
The most helpful part of the message is how practical it is.
The Princess Royal points to the role of Carers Trust’s local carer services. These services support carers based on what they need, not on what is easiest to deliver.
She gives clear examples of what that support may include:
help with household costs
short breaks for carers, or for the person they care for
advice on energy bills
extra support for children and young people in school
In other words, support is not always dramatic. Often, it is a timely grant. A break at the right moment. A conversation that reduces worry. A nudge towards help that already exists.
The scale of caring, and the scale of support
The message also shares a key milestone. In 2025, the Carers Trust network reached over 1.1 million carers, and its services now cover about 85% of the country.
Those numbers matter for two reasons.
First, they show need. You do not reach 1.1 million carers unless pressure is widespread.
Second, they show what is possible when support is organised locally and delivered consistently. Carers do not need ten different doorways. They need a clear route to the right help.
Positive news for young carers
There is also an important note of hope in the message.
The Princess Royal highlights progress for young carers in 2025. She notes that over 250 organisations have signed up to the Young Carers Covenant, including governments and UK government departments, committing to actions that improve young carers’ futures.
The Covenant is a UK-wide commitment shaped by what young carers say they need most. It focuses on fair outcomes and practical change, not just awareness.
This matters because young carers are often hidden twice over. They are caring, and they are young. So their needs are easier to miss. Commitments like this help bring them into view.
“There is still more to do”
The message is honest about progress, but it does not pretend the work is finished.
The Princess Royal is clear that there is still much to do for carers. She also makes a simple point: real change happens when people “pull together”, across services, communities, and everyday life.
That is a useful reminder for the start of a new year.
If you are a carer, support is not a luxury. It is part of making caring sustainable.
If you work in a service that supports carers, consistency and clarity matter. So does kindness.
And if you are someone who knows a carer, checking in and offering practical help can go further than you think.
Because carers are not “just coping”. They are carrying a lot. This message makes that visible. And that visibility is a step towards better support in 2026.
