At the age of 52, Kathyrn Squires has just $19 in her superannuation account.
A carer for her son and parents over the years, Ms Squires told a Senate hearing in Canberra on Friday it is very difficult to finish studies or hold down a job.
"Retirement for me, I guess if I win the lottery I might have a nice ..." she said, before pausing.
"Caravan," Carers Australia's policy manager Sue Elderton finished.
Addressing a committee looking into economic security for women in retirement, Ms Squires said she had been in a caring role since the age of 19 as a single mum to her son.
She then had to look after him during some drug problems and later when he turned up with two grandchildren.
"Throughout all of those years of caring I've had jobs that I've had to take such as cleaning, waitressing, things like that, so it's not possible to grow a career," she said.
Attempts at university study and an event management job in Queensland also fell through when she returned to Canberra to look after sick parents.
"My superannuation at the age of 52 is $19," she said.
As the government weighs up changes to superannuation tax incentives ahead of the May budget, Ms Elderton urged it to think of carers.
"Any changes ... need to take into consideration those with broken careers as well as those who face involuntary retirement - and that often happens in a caring role," she said.
"For many carers it's simply impossible to plan for the future."
In its submission, Carers Australia says there should be equity in superannuation tax concessions to ensure the benefits are provided equally between low, middle and high income earners.
It calls for consideration of previous Human Rights Commission recommendations to reward unpaid caring work by providing superannuation payments for those on carer and parenting payments, and government-funded paid parental leave.
The government should also develop and expand tax incentives which increase the retirement savings of women and others on low incomes such as the superannuation co-contribution scheme, it says.
