Lindsey looked after Rob after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 until his death aged 41 last year
The widow of rugby league legend Rob Burrow has highlighted the incredible work done by the army of unpaid carers.
Lindsey looked after Rob after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 until his death aged 41 last year. She believes without the commitment shown by unpaid carers, society would struggle.
Lindsey said: “In the UK there are over 10 million carers, and two million of those are actually working. So, they are juggling working and caring responsibilities as well, and I just think they do an amazing job. Without them our country just wouldn’t cope.”
She added it was important to champion the work they did and “recognise and reward them”. Her tribute came as the government announced steps and investment to address the issue of social care.
An independent commission is looking at long-term reforms to create a National Care Service, though it is not expected to report back until 2028.
Helen Walker, chief exec of Carers UK, said huge numbers of carers were taking on extra responsibilities because of the lack of social care.
Carer’s Allowance, which people may be eligible for if they spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone with an illness or disability, was the “lowest benefit of its type”.
She added: “If you have to give up work in order to care, you are only entitled to £81.90 a week. That is not enough to live on.”
The government is making changes to support carers. A spokesman said the carer’s allowance earning threshold would be increased to give “unpaid carers the opportunity to earn more and receive the government support they deserve”.
Rob Burrow’s MND diagnosis came two years after he retired from playing after a 17-year career with Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain.
Lindsey, 42, is mum to their children Macy, 12, Maya, nine, and Jackson, five. She won a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Special Recognition award with Rob and his best friend Kevin Sinfield in 2023.
Lindsey described caring for Rob as a privilege but admitted it was often lonely. She said: “It can be isolating. People don’t know who to turn to and the system doesn’t always work for everybody.”
She told the BBC that she had endured a tough few months since Rob’s death on June 2.
Lindsey added: “This year is going to be increasingly difficult, the first year without Rob.
“But he showed us the way that life is for living, and we owe it to Rob to continue to be happy and to make those memories.”
