Highlights

• In 2019 17% of adults aged 16 and over reported providing unpaid help or support to at least one person with long-term mental or physical health problems, disabilities or problems related to old age. Women were more likely than men to have done so (20% and 14% respectively).
• Over half of adults (55%) said that they had received no support in providing care. This was most prevalent among aged 65 and over (64%).
• Around one in ten adults who provided unpaid care in the last month were not in paid work because of their caring responsibilities; women, and those aged 45 to 64, were the most likely to not be in paid work due to providing care.
• Nearly one in five of those who provided unpaid care reported experiencing financial difficulties as a result of their caring responsibilities. Those in lower income households were more likely to report financial difficulties as a result of providing care.
• Almost half of adults who provided unpaid care (45%) reported some impact of their caring responsibilities on their social contacts and leisure activities. Those who provided twenty hours of care or more a week were more likely to report an impact than those who provided fewer hours of care.
• Women were more likely than men to report health impacts of providing care, including feeling tired, a general feeling of stress, and disturbed sleep. Women were also more likely to report developing their own health condition, or that an existing condition had worsened because of their caring responsibilities.

Download the report and tables here.