The first ever parliamentary inquiry into young and young adult carers has revealed a lack of support is having a huge impact on their education, wellbeing and future prospects.

An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, supported by national charity Carers Trust, published its findings on 14th November. It shows that 15,000 children, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after family members because of illness, disability or addiction.

There are an estimated one million young carers in the UK and the time they spend caring can lead to them falling behind at school and damage their life opportunities.

Many are not being identified by local authorities or schools and this is leading to a postcode lottery of support. The inquiry heard some are being left to cope alone for 10 years before being identified, while evidence to the inquiry showed the average waiting time to get support is three years.

Duncan Baker MP, chair of the inquiry and vice-chair of the APPG, said:

“Our inquiry has heard truly concerning evidence from young carers and those who support them. Some young children spend 50 hours a week caring, while young adult carers have their chances of getting good GCSE results, going to university or getting a job drastically reduced by their caring role. The wildly uneven support available across the country shows an urgent need for the Government and Parliament to work together to transform the landscape.

“It’s up to all of us to give these young people a better start in life so we also need local authorities, health providers, schools, employers, and regulators to join in and help young carers. This is why the All-Party Parliamentary Group is calling on the Government for a national carers strategy to co-ordinate support right across the country.”

The inquiry heard from 70 individuals and organisations including young carers services, schools and parents. Most powerfully, it heard from more than 400 young and young adult carers around the country, with many speaking about the difficulties they encountered in not being identified as a young carer, including a lack of support from schools, local authorities and other services. This lack of help often continued into early adulthood.

Holly, a 21-year-old young adult carer and youth advisor to the inquiry, said:

"I've been helping to take care of my younger sister ever since she was born but I only got identified as a young carer when I turned 14. The inquiry results clearly show many other young carers aren’t being identified. Even when they are, they don't always get the help they need. Caring impacts not just your everyday life but also your dreams for the future, especially when you’re not given the support you desperately need. It's crucial for those in charge to take their responsibilities seriously, be held accountable, and stop thousands of young people falling through the cracks."

To coincide with the report release, a group of young carers handed an open letter in at 10 Downing Street on 14 November demanding Prime Minister Rishi Sunak does more to help. The letter has been signed by more than 1,100 young and young adult carers.

Responding to the report, Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said:

“This damning report, supported by Carers Trust, should be a wake-up call that young carers are being horribly let down by the system. They are facing huge disadvantages when it comes to education, job prospects and wellbeing, all because they put their loved ones first. As the social care system struggles to cope with demand, these young people are having to fill the gaps. Support needs to be ramped up across the board and there’s a critical need for a long-term strategy to ensure a fair future for every young carer.”

In East Sussex there are estimated 15,000 young carers, but only 232 were identified through the Schools Census in 2023.  There are many reasons why young carers are not identified but as this report shows, the impact can be life changing.

Care for the Carers, the carers centre for East Sussex, runs a service which allows young carers to meet others in similar situations and most importantly, just have fun!  With no criteria other than being a young carer aged 5-17 and living in East Sussex, it enables young carers to access activities and support earlier. The service includes monthly youth clubs, outings and activities throughout the school holidays as well as information, support and signposting. 

Jennifer Twist, Care for the Carers’ Chief Executive said, “This report clearly shows that young carers in East Sussex are in need of our support. We want to ensure that our local community recognises and supports young carers, so they know that they are not left to care alone.”

If you are a young carer or young adult carer, or know someone who is and would like to know more about the support the Care for the Carers provides, you can find out more by emailing info@cftc.org.uk, or phoning 01323 738390.