Emily HolzhausenSector leader

Biography

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

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

Expertise

Cited on

• Adult social care & reform
• Unpaid carers

Stated areas of expertise

• Unpaid carer rights and policy
• Carer's Allowance reform
• Adult social care
• Employment rights for carers
• Carer health and wellbeing
• Parliamentary campaigning

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 they’ve said

• “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? ↗

Source references

1. Penalties for unpaid carers in benefits scandal must be halted, says Ed Daveytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. Senior DWP civil servant blames victims for carer’s allowance scandaltheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
3. Will Burnham’s Plan to Reform Social Care Help Unpaid Carers?shoutoutuk.org · 10 Aug 2026

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.