Across the UK there are hundreds of thousands of young people who provide unpaid care to family members. These young people are 38 per cent less likely to obtain a degree-level qualification than their peers.
Improved identification and support can help to change this – and should be a core part of universities’ access and participation plans.
Many young adult carers start caring as children, often taking on higher levels of care as they get older; others are thrust into a caring role when a family member suddenly becomes ill. Whatever the circumstances, across all parts of the country, young adult carers are an invisible army.
The Learning and Work Institute estimates that these young people provide over £3.5 billion in unpaid care each year. Despite the huge contribution that they make to their families and to society, young adult carers get a raw deal. They’re often not identified as carers and don’t get the support they need at school and college. Many young adult carers talk about being bullied, feeling isolated, alone and anxious. They often grow up in low-income households, unable to socialise with their peers and get involved in activities outside of school and home.
