'Exempt carers from benefits rule'

Young adult carers should be exempt from the benefits system rule that stops them receiving the Carers Allowance if they study for more than 21 hours per week.

So say the Learning and Work Institute and the Carers Trust, which have together launched an open letter to the secretary of state for work and pensions calling for the exemption.

They pointed to census figures showing that there are at least 272,731 young adult carers aged 16-24 in England and Wales – around one in 21 young people – and around 37,000 of them provide over 50 hours of care each week.

The letter notes that young adult carers have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE than their peers and are three times more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment or training). One quarter say they cannot afford to go to college or university, and those who do go are much more likely to drop out.

The letter calls on the government to exempt young adult carers from the 21 hour rule, which it says limits their ability to study. It says: “Young adult carers often give up their childhoods to care for others. Yet, through no fault of their own, they consistently miss out on opportunities in learning and work.”