Young carers less likely to graduate from university

Young person bringing a cup of tea to an older person with crutches - Young people who provide informal unpaid care to family members or others outside their household are on average 38% less likely to obtain a university degree than their counterparts with no caring responsibilities, according to a new study by UCL researchers. The study, published in Advances in Life Course Research , looked at up to 10 years of data from more than 27,000 young adults in the UK who were aged between 16 and 29. The research team found that the more hours spent caring, the less likely people were to get a degree. For example, those who cared for 35  or more hours  a week were 86% less likely to have a degree qualification. In addition, carers aged 23 or over were less likely than non-carers to enter employment, and this depended largely on how many hours a week they spent caring. Those caring for 35  h ours or more a week were 46% less likely to enter employment than non-carers. The team also found that having a degree protected against the negative effects of caring on the likelihood of being in work.