Summary
Key Points: Research using Understanding Society data has shown: 1) The impact of being a carer on young carers can compound existing inequalities, and costs the country £1bn+ per year. Better state provision would reduce these impacts. 2) Of the two million carers aged 65 or over, 417,000 of them are 80+. They are likely to give high intensity care, but nearly two thirds have their own health condition/disability. 3) People with a lower level of education are more likely to provide intensive care, and those with a mid-level education are more likely to be carers than those with a higher or lower education level. 4) Covid has had a negative impact on family caregivers’ mental health, with loneliness a significant contributor. 5) A rise in volunteering and community action has helped some people with some tasks during Covid, but those who need greater help with daily living said they got less help than before the pandemic. 6) Family carers are providing more care than they did, and the current system is putting pressure on families to step in where the state does not. 7) The more hours of care a person provides, the more likely they are to reduce their work hours or leave work altogether, and employers could provide more support. 8) Carers have lower wellbeing than non-carers, but these differences decrease when their local authority spends more on adult social care. 9) An ageing population and falling birth rate will increase the demand for paid-for care, and the number of people with complex care needs.
Subjects
Link
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/108837/pdf/