Learning and Work Institute and the Carers Trust are calling for young adult carers to be exempt from the 21 hour rule in the benefit system, which means they cannot claim Carer’s Allowance if they study more than 21 hours per week.
Many young people say they are put off doing full time courses because of the 21 hour rule. Changing this rule would help young adult carers to participate in learning and gaining qualifications, which could improve their future prospects.
Read full report hereThe 21 hour rule
Carer’s Allowance is a benefit of £76.75 per week. It can be claimed by people:
- Over the age of 16 who care for someone at least 35 hours per week, if they receive certain benefits.
-  Who earn less than £139 per week (after deductions).
- Â Who are not studying for more than 21 hours per week/in full time education.
Young Adult Carers
Young adult carers are young people aged 16–24 who provide unpaid care to someone, usually a family member, on a regular basis.
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 and say that their wellbeing is affected:
- Young adult carers have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE, the equivalent to nine grades lower overall than their peers.
- On average, carers miss 5% of school days because of caring, and caring interferes with a quarter of all school days
Policy change being called for
The Learning and Work Institute is calling on the government to exempt young adult carers, aged 16–24, from the 21 hour/full time education rule that currently prevents them from claiming Carer’s Allowance and studying at the same time.
As part of changes being made to Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, the Scottish Government has recently announced that from 2024, entitlement will be extended to carers in full time education.
The Learning and Work Institute say that this policy change would make a significant difference in opening up opportunities, such as T levels and A levels, for young adult carers who have missed out on so much.
