Emily Holzhausen

Who Emily Holzhausen is

Emily Holzhausen CBE is Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, the national charity for unpaid carers, a role she has held since joining the organisation in 1996. She leads on the charity's strategic development, directing its policy, research, campaigning, parliamentary and media work. Her advocacy has contributed to legislative changes across pensions, social care rights, equality law, welfare benefits and employment rights, most recently leading the campaign that secured the Carer's Leave Act. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 and a CBE in the King's Birthday Honours List 2024, both for services to unpaid carers. She also serves as an executive member of the board of Eurocarers, the European carers network. She is regularly quoted in UK press and broadcast media on unpaid carer policy, Carer's Allowance reform, and adult social care.

References for this biography

1. 1.Charity Director Emily Holzhausen awarded CBE in the King's Birthday Honours list | Carers UK — Confirms role title, organisation, start date (1996), scope of responsibilities, Carer's Leave Act campaign leadership, and CBE award
2. 2.Carers UK Director Emily Holzhausen receives CBE for her dedication in championing unpaid carers | Carers UK — Confirms CBE receipt at Windsor Castle, policy and campaigning remit, legislative achievements across pensions, social care rights, equality law, welfare benefits and employment rights
3. 3.Support for Carers UK's Carer's Allowance overpayments campaign | Carers UK — Evidences Emily Holzhausen as named spokesperson on Carer's Allowance reform and press-quoted role
4. 4.Carers UK responds to terms of reference for new independent commission on adult social care | Carers UK — Evidences Emily Holzhausen CBE as spokesperson on adult social care reform and the Casey Commission
5. 5.Staff – Eurocarers — Confirms Emily Holzhausen's role as executive board member of Eurocarers
6. 6.Carers UK Policy Director awarded OBE in charity's 50th anniversary year | Carers UK — Confirms OBE award in 2015 and describes her as a foremost expert on carers' issues
7. 7.Media centre | Carers Week — Provides Carers UK press office email (media@carersuk.org) and phone number (020 7378 4937)
8. 8.Contact us | Carers UK — Confirms Carers UK head office address as 20 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4LX
9. 9.Carers UK on X – Emily Holzhausen CBE on GMB — Identifies @HolzhausenEmily as Emily Holzhausen's X/Twitter account, tagged by the official Carers UK account
10. 10.Emily Holzhausen CBE – Carers UK | LinkedIn — Identifies Emily Holzhausen CBE's LinkedIn profile, listed under Carers UK

Notable achievements

• Led the campaign that secured the Carer's Leave Act, giving all unpaid carers new statutory rights to balance work and care. Source ↗
• Awarded CBE in the King's Birthday Honours List 2024 for services to unpaid carers, having previously received an OBE in 2015. Source ↗
• Led Carers UK's high-profile campaign on Carer's Allowance overpayments, calling for urgent government reform to protect carers from accruing debt. Source ↗
• Gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into pre-pension income gaps ahead of the state pension age increase to 67, representing carers' interests. Source ↗

What Emily Holzhausen has said

• “Thousands of unpaid carers provide essential support to family and friends long before reaching pension age. As one of the most under-pensioned groups in the UK, many have little choice but to care due to limited alternative support. We must ensure carers are properly supported as they approach retirement, particularly given the new rise in the State Pension age.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · More than 25,000 Brits set to lose out on £7,000 in 1 year after state pension rule 'change' ↗

• “The demands for care are growing and simply cannot be met by the crumbling system.”

  Director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring? ↗

• “We need to see further reform to Carer's Allowance because the current system is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of caring today.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP plans Carer's Allowance shake-up with claimants issued Tuesday warning ↗

• “Andy Burnham is right to make social care an early priority as he prepares to take office as Prime Minister next week. Our adult social care system depends heavily on unpaid carers, who are providing increasing levels of care, often at significant personal cost.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Adult social care & reform · 30 Sept 2026 · Andy Burnham is right to make social care an early priority as the UK’s next PM, says Carers UK ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  director of policy at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP sending £345 payments with more than 1 million people urged to check ↗

• “We are seriously concerned by the pace of progress of the reassessment exercise and would like to see a clear and realistic plan for speeding it up, to ensure that carers who have been wrongly given overpayments over the last decade get a swift resolution.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP dishes out refunds to 25,000 claimants but it could take another 28 years ↗

• “We are seriously concerned by the pace of progress of the reassessment exercise and would like to see a clear and realistic plan for speeding it up, to ensure that carers who have been wrongly given overpayments over the last decade get a swift resolution.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP to hand out refunds to 25,000 UK claimants over carer's allowance overpayment scandal ↗

• “We are seriously concerned by the pace of progress of the reassessment exercise and would like to see a clear and realistic plan for speeding it up, to ensure that carers who have been wrongly given overpayments over the last decade get a swift resolution.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP set to pay out refund to 25,000 claimants but it could take years ↗

• “We need to see further reform to Carer's Allowance because the current system is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of caring today. This includes inflexible rules around the earnings limit which are hard to navigate for carers with fluctuating earnings and can dissuade some from claiming what they are entitled to altogether.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP benefit review could end unpaid carer earnings limit cliff edge ↗

• “We need to see a clear explanation from the government as to why recoverable amounts for some individuals are so high after it made a promise to investigate 100% of VEPs. It is unacceptable this level of debt is being allowed to mount up.”

  director of policy at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · Many carers hit with demands to repay more than £20,000 despite reforms | Carer's allowance ↗

• “We need to see further reform to Carer's Allowance because the current system is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of caring today.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · Views sought to transform benefit paid to carers ↗

• “We need to see further reform to Carer's Allowance because the current system is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of caring today.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 30 Sept 2026 · DWP Carer's Allowance earnings rules could change under review ↗

• “Sandwich carers are pulled in all directions, caring for multiple people and generations. It can be incredibly stressful, often leaving people in poorer physical and mental health. With so much caring, they are less likely to be in work impacting their present and future finances hard. This can't be right when people don't have a choice about caring and their support is helping family members live longer in communities, effectively saving the state £184 billion a year.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Sandwich carers feeling strain as over one million struggle for a break ↗

• “The numbers were "deeply worrying", citing the Department for Business and Trade which estimates the economic cost of carers leaving paid work to be £37bn a year. Ms Holzhausen added: "The sizeable impact of caring responsibilities on peoples' working lives should concern us all, because when people are forced to leave work to care employers lose valuable skills and there are wider implications."”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Hundreds of Britons quitting jobs every day to look after loved ones ↗

• “It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Thousands of unpaid carers quitting jobs every day to look after loved ones ↗

• “Sandwich carers are pulled in all directions, caring for multiple people and generations. It can be incredibly stressful, often leaving people in poorer physical and mental health. With so much caring, they are less likely to be in work impacting their present and future finances hard. This can't be right when people don't have a choice about caring and their support is helping family members live longer in communities, effectively saving the state £184 billion a year.”

  Director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Sandwich carers feeling strain as over one million struggle for a break ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Adult social care & reform · 29 Sept 2026 · Over 1,500 people a day leave work to care for loved ones ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · 1,500 quit work each day to be unpaid carers ↗

• “It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Concern as 1,500 unpaid carers quitting jobs every day to look after loved ones ↗

• “It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · ‘More than 1,500 UK unpaid carers quit jobs every day to look after loved ones’ ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  Director of Policy at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · About 1,500 Britons a day quitting their jobs to become unpaid carers ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  director of policy at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · Around 1,500 Britons a day quitting jobs to become unpaid carers, report finds ↗

• “These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 29 Sept 2026 · The unsung heroes of Merseyside forced to give up their careers to care for family ↗

• “It is deeply worrying to see growing numbers of unpaid carers leaving employment. These figures represent real people who have had to make difficult decisions about their careers, their financial security and their futures due to the pressures of balancing work and care.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 21 Sept 2026 · 1,500 people quit work every day to care for relatives ↗

• “We are seriously concerned by the pace of progress of the reassessment exercise and would like to see a clear and realistic plan for speeding it up, to ensure that carers who have been wrongly given overpayments over the last decade get a swift resolution.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 14 Sept 2026 · Unpaid carers could die before seeing justice for overpayments scandal, charities warn ↗

• “This is a positive step forwards for unpaid carers, recognising that all too often they face fragmented services, barriers to support and a lack of recognition for the essential role they play looking after family and friends.”

  Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 8 Sept 2026 · Millions of unpaid carers to get recognition and earlier support ↗

• “It's critical that we see the publication of the independent review very quickly with a clear timeline for action to ensure that this scandal is addressed head on. With every day that goes by, unpaid carers are still being subjected to overpayments demands operating under what, everyone has acknowledged, is a broken system.”

  director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · Penalties for unpaid carers in benefits scandal must be halted, says Ed Davey ↗

• “To say that the heart of the matter is claimants' fault for not reporting changes in circumstances is missing the point entirely. The root cause of this is a confusing, complex and difficult-to-navigate system, which has caused numerous errors.”

  director of policy at Carers UK · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · Senior DWP civil servant blames victims for carer’s allowance scandal ↗

• “'[We know] the devastating impact that substantial unpaid care of over twenty hours per week can have on carers' health, wellbeing and ability to juggle work and care,' says Emily Holzhausen at Carers UK.”

  Carers UK · Unpaid carers · 10 Aug 2026 · Will Burnham’s Plan to Reform Social Care Help Unpaid Carers? ↗

Where Emily Holzhausen has been quoted

1. ‘I'm proud of giving a voice to people who feel invisible'kcl.ac.uk · 4 Oct 2026
2. More than 25,000 Brits set to lose out on £7,000 in 1 year after state pension rule 'change'liverpoolecho.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
3. The £184 billion question: What would happen if the unpaid carers stopped caring?bigissue.com · 30 Sept 2026
4. DWP plans Carer's Allowance shake-up with claimants issued Tuesday warningbirminghammail.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
5. Andy Burnham is right to make social care an early priority as the UK’s next PM, says Carers UKcarehomeprofessional.com · 30 Sept 2026
6. DWP sending £345 payments with more than 1 million people urged to checkbirminghammail.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
7. DWP dishes out refunds to 25,000 claimants but it could take another 28 yearsderbytelegraph.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
8. DWP to hand out refunds to 25,000 UK claimants over carer's allowance overpayment scandalchroniclelive.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
9. DWP set to pay out refund to 25,000 claimants but it could take yearsliverpoolecho.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
10. DWP benefit review could end unpaid carer earnings limit cliff edgecambridge-news.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
11. Many carers hit with demands to repay more than £20,000 despite reforms | Carer's allowancetheguardian.com · 30 Sept 2026
12. Views sought to transform benefit paid to carersgov.uk · 30 Sept 2026
13. DWP Carer's Allowance earnings rules could change under reviewliverpoolecho.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
14. Sandwich carers feeling strain as over one million struggle for a breakcarehomeprofessional.com · 29 Sept 2026
15. Hundreds of Britons quitting jobs every day to look after loved onesnews.sky.com · 29 Sept 2026
16. Thousands of unpaid carers quitting jobs every day to look after loved onesnewswav.com · 29 Sept 2026
17. Sandwich carers feeling strain as over one million struggle for a breakhomecareinsight.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
18. Over 1,500 people a day leave work to care for loved onessocialcare.today · 29 Sept 2026
19. 1,500 quit work each day to be unpaid carerspersonneltoday.com · 29 Sept 2026
20. Concern as 1,500 unpaid carers quitting jobs every day to look after loved onesindependent.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
21. ‘More than 1,500 UK unpaid carers quit jobs every day to look after loved ones’careappointments.com · 29 Sept 2026
22. About 1,500 Britons a day quitting their jobs to become unpaid carerstheguardian.com · 29 Sept 2026
23. Around 1,500 Britons a day quitting jobs to become unpaid carers, report findsnrtimes.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
24. The unsung heroes of Merseyside forced to give up their careers to care for familyinyourarea.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
25. 1,500 people quit work every day to care for relativeshomecareinsight.co.uk · 21 Sept 2026
26. Unpaid carers could die before seeing justice for overpayments scandal, charities warntheguardian.com · 14 Sept 2026
27. Millions of unpaid carers to get recognition and earlier supportgov.uk · 8 Sept 2026
28. Penalties for unpaid carers in benefits scandal must be halted, says Ed Daveytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
29. Senior DWP civil servant blames victims for carer’s allowance scandaltheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
30. Will Burnham’s Plan to Reform Social Care Help Unpaid Carers?shoutoutuk.org · 10 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Death tax, dementia tax, no tax at all: Why England hasn’t fixed social careTheLead.uk
• Maryland Reform Act Keeps 26 Offenses in Adult Court, Advocates ConcernedDavis Vanguard
• We need help before next general election, carers sayBBC

Contact & links

• Xhttps://x.com/HolzhausenEmilypublished here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/emily-holzhausen-cbe-48766128
• Staff pagehttps://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/media-centre
• Press office emailmedia@carersuk.orgpublished here ↗
• Press office phone020 7378 4937published here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.