Social care provision
This chapter reports on the provision of informal social care by adults aged 16 and over. It excludes any help given in a professional capacity or as part of a job.
Highlights
Men and women
- Women were slightly more likely, 18%, than men, 15%, to provide informal help or support.
Age
- Adults aged 55-64 were most likely to report providing care; 23% of men and 29% of women.
Income
- Provision of care tended to decrease with increasing income.
Relationship with person being cared for
- Care was most commonly provided to a parent; with 46% of men and 47% of women providing this care.
- Just under a quarter of men, 22%, provided help or support for their spouse or partner, compared with 15% of women.
Time spent caring
- Around a quarter of men, 26%, and a third of women, 31%, provided 10 or more hours of care in the last week.
- Just under a fifth of men and women provided 20 or more hours of care in the last week.
Health of carers
- Among informal carers, almost two thirds of men, 63%, and half of women, 50%, said that their health was not affected by their caring activity.
- Among those who reported an impact on their own health, the most common effects were a general feeling of tiredness and stress.
Employment of carers
- 58% of men and 48% of women who provided informal care were employed and reported no impact on their employment.