Young carers and poverty

Experience of poverty and social exclusion is common amongst families with young carers as their parents are often unable to work and therefore receive welfare benefits for support. The Children’s Society is concerned about the cuts to this support for young carers and their families to be introduced under the new welfare benefits system, Universal Credit.

This briefing addresses the government's announcement that it will abolish the "severe disability premium" with the introduction of the Universal Credit, and the potential impact this could have on young carers looking after a disabled parent.

This premium currently gives additional support to disabled adults with no one to care for them or who are supported by a young carer who is not entitled to receive carer's allowance. This support helps to cover the additional costs of living with a disability but no carer. We estimate abolishing this premium will cost families with a young carer up to £55.30 per week (£2876 per year).

We are concerned the cut in support will place substantial pressure on children in these families to take on additional care responsibilities, because the parent can no longer afford to pay for the additional costs of care for themselves. We are also concerned that it is being introduced despite the government not knowing how many young carers this may affect.