Carers of working

age: experience in Great Britain

Professor Sue Yeandle CIRCLE Centre for International Research on Care, Labour & Equalities University of Leeds

International Federation on Ageing Conference 2012 Panel: Care and Support for Caregivers

Carers of

working age:

Great Britain

Women

Number

Men

number

Women

%

Men

%

All

%

All carers of

working age 2,419,957

100%

1,845,754

100%

57

43

100

Caring 1-19

hours pw 1,680,528

70%

1,359,269

74%

55

45

100

Caring 20-49

hours pw 285,523

12%

192,896

10%

60

40

100

Caring 50+

hours pw 453,906

19%

293,589

16%

61

39

100

Source: 2001 Census Standard Tables, Crown Copyright.

0

5

10

15

20

25

5-15 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-74 75-84 85-90 90+

% w

ho

pro

vid

e u

np

aid

care

Males

Females

3%

3%

3%

21%

5%

3%

60%

Self-employed FT

3%

Self-employed PT

3%

Employee FT

29%

Employee PT

27%

Unemployed Early retired Student Looking after home/ family Permanently sick/ disabled Other

Carers in

employment

Employee FT

54%

Self-employed PT

3%

Self-employed FT

12%4%

6%

3%

5%

7%2%

Employee PT

4%

74%

Unemployed Early retired Student Looking after home/ family Permanently sick/ disabled Other

Carers in

employment

Female carers of

working age

by economic activity

status, GB

Male carers of

working age

by economic

activity status,

GB

Source: 2001 Census SARs, Crown copyright

Employees whose health is 'not good' by

employment status and caring responsibilities

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

No care 1-19 hours 20-49 hours 50+ hours

Perc

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f people

of

work

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plo

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Male Full-time Male Part-time

Female full-time Female part-time

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urv

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ISC

Milestones: services that work for carers

Local carers centres – informal network of 280 centres now offers support

of different types in many parts of the country

Carers Strategies 1999, 2008, 2010 – official recognition of carers’

contribution and identification of their needs for support and flexibility

Carers’ Assessments – from 2000 the legal entitlement of carers

supporting someone with recognised care needs

Breaks and Respite – offered to some carers in all local authorities

Planning for emergencies/carer absence: many schemes introduced,

recognising real issues in carers’ lives

Carers Grant Funding to local authorities from 2001 – spending on

programmes to promote innovations in carer support through engagement with voluntary sector agencies and the involvement of carers

Modernisation and personalisation of social care - through Direct

Payments / Individual Budgets, some carers have gained more control over their own lives. 33,000 carers had a DP to help them stay in work in 2009-10

Milestones: carers’ rights and entitlements to date

6

1985 ECJ Ruling, following

test case

Rules adjusted so that married women and men become entitled

to claim Invalid Care Allowance, previously only payable to single

women carers - can be claimed by low-paid employed people

1995 Carers (Recognition

and Services) Act

Introduced the concept of a Carer’s Assessment, to identify carers’

own needs for support in connection with their caring role

1999 Employment

Relations Act

Gave all employees the right to ‘reasonable time off’ to deal with

family emergencies

2000 Carers and Disabled

Children Act

Gave carers the right to an assessment of their own needs,

allowing them to receive services in their own right, and in applicable

cases offering parents of disabled children direct payments to

manage on their child’s behalf.

2002 Employment Act Established the right to request flexible working arrangements for

employed parents of disabled children under the age of 18

2004 Carers (Equal

Opportunities) Act

Placed a duty on local authorities to inform carers of their rights

and to consider their wishes regarding education, training and

employment when conducting Carers Assessments.

2006 Work & Families Act Extended the right to request flexible working arrangements to

many carers providing regular and substantial care (after 6 months in

employment).

2010 Equality Act following

ECJ ruling, test case

Made discrimination in association with a disabled

person illegal