Survey claims Britain has a million child carers

The numbers of young people in Britain acting as carers is more than four times higher than has been suggested by recent census reports, according to a survey commissioned by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

The survey of over 1,300 young people found that 12% of 7-19 year olds were looking after someone with an illness, disability or health problem who could not manage alone. This would correspond to over a million people aged up to 19 in Great Britain, which is dramatically higher that the census which found that around 225,000 people up to 19 in the UK are looking after someone with an illness, disability or other health problems.

Alex Fox, Young Carers Development Coordinator, said that this was the first time a national survey has been conducted where young people themselves were asked about their caring situation.

The census was filled in by parents of young people, who may not necessarily admit that their child is looking after them or taking on a caring role for a brother or sister, the trust said.

“From our experience of working directly with thousands of young carers and their families, we thought the census under-represented the number of young carers, and this survey adds weight to this theory. We believe that only a tiny percentage of young carers are getting the help they need,” Mr Fox said.

“More detailed research needs to be done, but these figures should be a wake-up call for those Local Authorities who ignore the needs of young people who look after someone. Agencies that support adults often have not considered to what extent the support package they have put in place relies on the hidden caring of a child. If they asked the adults that they support a few simple questions that could change.”

Most young people take on some household tasks, but young carers take on substantial caring tasks such as personal care for a physically disabled adult, making sure a sibling who has a learning disability plays safely, or staying in to be there for a parent who misuses substances or has a mental illness. In addition, many young carers carry out household chores and look after younger brothers and sisters.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has launched a new website today www.youngcarers.net which provides information and advice for young carers and professionals.

(gmcg/sp)