The first ever parliamentary inquiry on young carers has revealed the ‘devastating impact’ of care responsibilities on their education, wellbeing and prospects.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers published the findings of its inquiry today.
The APPG said it 'uncovered alarming evidence' showing 15,000 children, including 3,000 aged between five and nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after family members because of illness, disability or addiction.
It heard that young carers missed an average of 27 school days a year and were 38% less likely to achieve a university degree than their peers.
The CEO of the charity Carers Trust, Kirsty McHugh, said: ‘This damning report should be a wake-up call that young carers are being horribly let down by the system.
‘As the social care system struggles to cope with demand, these young people are having to fill the gaps.’
The APPG found young people struggling with care responsibilities faced a ‘postcode lottery’ of available support, often because they were not being identified as carers.
Inquiry chair Duncan Baker said: ‘The wildly uneven support available across the country shows an urgent need for the Government and Parliament to work together to transform the landscape.’
The report recommends the ‘urgent’ introduction of a cross-government national carers strategy to co-ordinate support.
