Wake-up to carers needs after new stats released

Teens today face decade of caring according to new stats obtained by the Charity Carers UK.

Teenage girls can expect to provide over nine years unpaid care through their lives for disabled, ill, or older loved ones, whereas boys can expect to provide just over 7.

Carers UK says these figures should be seen as a wake-up call that our ageing population means caring will affect us all.

Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “Our ageing population means that future generations will see caring for loved ones have an even greater impact on their lives. Today’s teenagers will face almost a decade of caring throughout their lives. These figures should be a wake-up call – showing that our ageing population means we will all care at some point in our lives. But currently families are not getting enough support to care for older parents or ill relatives – too many are forced to give up work, risking financial hardship and exhaustion as they care without the help they need.”

Duty of care to an older or disabled loved one is most likely to happen during our 50s and 60s. Carers Uk says that the new figures show we will all spend a signicant proportion of our lives and retirement caring for another.

According to the new ONS figures on ‘unpaid care expectancies’, women aged 50 can expect to provide almost six years of the rest of their lives caring, and men just under five years.

Ms Herklots added: “This radical shift in family life necessitates a shift in the support provided by care services and workplaces. Just as the last generation fought for a step-change in how young parents are supported with childcare – we must now see a shift in how employers and social care services support families to combine caring for older or disabled loved ones.”

Carers UK has called for a new settlement for social care funding over concerns that the number of older and disabled people receiving care is falling at a time of rising demand. The group also calls for employers to provide additional flexibility for the 1 in 9 workers combining work and caring responsibilites through a new right that would allow for 5-10 days of paid care live.