Young Carer Grant - interim evaluation: qualitative research (Annex A)

Chapter 4: The impact of the grant on young carers

Main findings

Young Carer Grant had a positive impact on young carers' ability to take part in opportunities that are the norm for their non-caring peers. They spent the grant in ways that are typical for young people the same age and it enabled them to purchase things and take part in activities (notably socialising with friends) that they would not otherwise have been able to afford.

If they had not received the grant, participants generally indicated that they would have had to go without all or some of the things they purchased and missed out on the activities they had been able to take part in.

Almost all participants reported a positive (albeit not necessarily a very large) impact on their mental wellbeing, mainly by reducing stress and increasing confidence.

The impact on young carers' physical health was somewhat limited but there were examples of participants spending some of their grant on things that would benefit it.

There was evidence of the grant helping to increase young carers' sense of choice and control over their lives. Most immediately, they were generally clear that it was up to them how they spent the grant and that, in the absence of the grant, they would have had to go without all or some of the things they purchased. More broadly, there was also evidence of it increasing young carers' sense of control over their lives, by making them feel more independent, more confident, less anxious and by enabling them to get better at saving.

Young carers had mixed views on whether receiving the grant had helped them feel more recognised. Some felt that it had made no difference but, more commonly, young carers did feel that it had helped at least a little. There was a sense in which both the introduction/existence of the grant, and the fact that they had been deemed eligible to receive it, provided recognition and validation.

Stakeholders felt that the grant had the potential to open up access to other support (by encouraging people to find out if they were young carers; through sign-posting applicants to other services; and by encouraging applications for other support in the future).

However, there is a limit to what a financial payment can do and the grant had no direct impact on some of the negative aspects of being a young carer that were most commonly mentioned by participants: a lack of free time and anxieties about the health of their cared-for person.

Impact on opportunities that are the norm for non-caring peers

One of the main challenges described by participants was a lack of time. This included a lack of time alone to rest, relax and have their 'own space'. Although some identified that doing something meaningful rather than 'wasting time' was one of the positive aspects of being a young carer, others wanted time to just 'do nothing'. It also included a lack of time to spend with friends and do the 'normal' things that their non-caring peers can do such as "being part of a friend group", going shopping, going to the cinema, going for something to eat or drink. Even when they did have the opportunity to go out, some worried about whether their cared-for person was alright: "What if I'm not there when something happens?"

The grant had no impact on the amount of free time young carers had. However, while their ability to spend time with friends remained limited, the grant undoubtedly enabled young people to take part in some social activities (e.g. eating out or going to the cinema) that they would otherwise have missed out on because of lack of money – as young carers' lack of opportunities are often exacerbated by financial constraints.

Caring responsibilities have an impact on young carers' ability to take on part-time jobs while they are in school, college or university and their employment opportunities once they have left education. However, among the 16, 17 and 18 year old recipients of the grant who took part in the research, the amount of money they had to spend was affected more by their parents' financial position. Previous research shows that young carers are more likely to live in a deprived area, have a low socio-economic status and be affected by poverty. This is partly as result of their parents not being in work or being on a low income.^[12]

Time constraints and such, that is not something that could be altered with money, all the money in the world, a billion pounds could be put into my bank account and maybe I don't have the time to use it. But it does enable you to go out and do things. Like I got to go to the carnival last year because of my grant, and it was amazing because I had never been before and I had never been to the shows, and I got to go through to Glasgow. I got to go to Primark and get myself a new top. It just enabled me to go out and enjoy myself a little bit. […] I got the opportunity to go to Manchester with LGBT Youth Scotland and that alone was an amazing experience, completely paid for by the Scottish Government and our funders [not as part of Young Carer Grant]. But when you pay for it yourself it's so rewarding. Aged 18, caring for mother

When asked what they would have done if they had not received the grant, participants generally indicated that they would have had to go without all or some of the things they purchased and missed out on the activities they had been able to take part in.

Did it allow you to do things you wouldn't normally do?

Yeah, definitely. I usually wouldn't be able to go out to a big restaurant [with friends] and get my own meal. Aged 17, caring for siblings

Some said they might still have purchased the items or undertaken the activities but it would have been "harder" and they may have had to do without something else. For example, one carer stated, "I would have had to be more careful with food shopping". Others were unsure what would have happened:

It would have taken a lot longer [to be able to buy a new guitar] and I'd have been less sure about buying it because I'd have had less money and might have been nervous in case I needed to spend it on something else. Aged 18, caring for sibling

A few indicated that they would have had to ask their mothers for money, but clearly felt uncomfortable doing so because they knew their mothers did not have much money:

It would have been a lot harder, I probably wouldn't have had a laptop by now. I don't even know what I would have done, I really virtually don't have any money, but I think my mum would have tried to help me out, but at the same time I wouldn't have wanted her to help me out. She doesn't really have enough money herself, so I'm grateful for the grant. Aged 18, caring for mother

Impact on quality of life

The positive aspects of being a young carer

Although there are many challenges, young carers listed many skills and qualities they felt they had developed more than their non-caring peers due to their caring responsibilities, such as:

• becoming more responsible, mature, independent, better able to cope with difficult situations and having a better understanding of the world: "you understand the reality of what can happen"
• enhancing qualities such as compassion, empathy, patience and respect for/ understanding of differences between people: "you know so much about life from different perspectives"
• developing life skills such as time management and organisation, budgeting, cooking, cleaning and looking after a house.

They also talked about feeling good about being able to help and getting a sense of reward and achievement from their caring role. Doing something meaningful rather than 'wasting time' (in comparison to what they might otherwise have been doing or what their peers were doing) was mentioned. Valuing the opportunity to spend time and develop a stronger relationship with the cared-for person were also identified as positive aspects.

People think it is all negative to be a young carer but it is not. It is rewarding to make a difference in someone's life. You learn compassion and patience and meet people through the young carer network. You learn life skills and become more mature and responsible. Aged 16, caring for mother

Impact on mental health and wellbeing

One of main challenges described by young carers was the mental strain caused by anxieties about the health of their cared-for person. Depending on the condition of the cared-for person, these might include on-going concerns such as whether they might have a seizure, longer-term concerns about their health worsening or simply the difficulty of seeing someone they love being in pain and not being able to do anything about it.

The near-constant caring responsibilities were also cited as a challenge in terms of mental health and wellbeing. Young carers typically helped their cared-for person in a wide range of ways including personal care, taking medications, physically helping them move around the house, accompanying them outside the home (e.g. to medical appointments, to the chemist, to other shops), housework, shopping, cooking, and generally checking in on them to make sure they are ok.

Almost all participants reported a positive (albeit not necessarily a very large) impact on their mental wellbeing of the grant, mainly by reducing stress and increasing confidence. The following examples show the range of ways the grant helped young carers feel better:

• "It did relax me that I had money if I needed it […] I'm a wee bit more confident about the driving lessons, which has led to me being more confident about school – it's the butterfly effect." (She meant a small change in one thing can have a knock-on effect on something else.)
• "Made me feel a bit more secure and a bit more ready for university and confident." (She had put the grant into savings for university.)
• "Knowing that I can still do school-work at home [having bought a tablet] has brought down my anxiety about school quite a lot – knowing I can keep up with work even during all this. It's my last year – my last chance to do well at school."
• "I felt better - it was a distraction from lockdown". (He had bought drawing equipment and video games.)
• "It felt good being able to get my mum and sister something. It just made me feel that I've actually got money." (He had bought Christmas presents for his mum and sister.)
• "The dance classes are good for my mental health."
• Another young carer had indicated that she felt self-conscious about wearing old and unfashionable clothes, so the grant was good for her self-esteem because was able to buy nice clothes. She now feels like she fits in more with her friends now and feels more confident.

A rare exception was a young carer who said that the grant had no impact on his mental wellbeing. However, he was an exception in that he had indicated that he did not find his caring role too stressful, it did not take up too much of his time, and his family were comfortably off financially.

Impact on physical health

The impact on young carers' physical health was somewhat limited but there were examples of participants spending some of their grant on things that would benefit it – such as exercise equipment, gym membership and dance classes. The biggest impact was for a participant who had used part of the grant to by a vape kit and said "I really do think the young carers grant aided me to quit smoking".

Impact on sense of choice and control

One of the aims of Young Carer Grant is to help young carers feel an increased sense of choice and control over their lives.

As discussed in Chapter 3, participants were generally clear that it was up to them how they spent the grant and that, in the absence of the grant, they would have had to go without all or some of the things they purchased and missed out on the activities they had been able to take part in. In that most immediate sense, therefore, the grant increased young carers' choices.

More broadly, there was also evidence of it increasing young carers' sense of control over their lives – even if they did not always express it in terms of 'control':

In the 'Impact on mental health and wellbeing' section towards the start of this chapter, there are examples of the grant helping participants feel more confident and less anxious.

As noted above, if they had not received the grant, a few might have had to ask their mothers for money which they would have felt uncomfortable about. Not having to do so therefore increased their sense of independence. Similarly, the end of the first verbatim quote in this chapter, "But when you pay for it yourself it's so rewarding", illustrates the impact of having your own money to spend rather than relying on others' paying for activities.

The following participant felt that starting to save made her feel more in control:

Interviewer: has it made you feel any more in control of things?

Young Carer: It has yes, I knew I had to be logical and smart about it, it made me good at saving money – I've got a piggy bank in my room now because of that and I've realised I can save. […] It's good to have that financial support there, it promotes being independent, taking care of yourself and thinking logically Aged 16, caring for mother

Another participant also mentioned getting better at saving, but also the sense of control she felt from having more choices:

I felt I was in control of being able to do more, with family and also in control of myself and expanding my skill in budgeting […] I know it will give me the opportunity to go out with friends when we can [after lockdown], otherwise I might not be able to afford it Aged 18, caring for mother and sibling

This comment also hints at an increased sense of choice and personal freedom:

It is nice to be able to care for myself and not for someone else for a change. Aged 17, caring for sibling

Impact on feelings of recognition

There were mixed views on the extent to which other people understand what it is like to be a young carer. One perspective was that some people did and some people did not – and there was a suggestion that awareness had increased a little over recent years through more coverage on television and in the papers and during Young Carers Awareness Day.^[13] Others felt there was very little awareness.

There was strong demand for awareness to be raised in schools (for both teachers and pupils) and suggestions that this could be done by young carers talking about their experiences at assemblies and by covering it in Life Skills or Personal and Social Education classes.

However, young carers did tend to feel recognised by their own families, their friends (although their friends may not fully understand what is involved), young carers' groups and the Government (with Young Carer Grant being part of the reason for feeling recognised by the Government). Reports on whether teachers understood were mixed.

When asked how important it was to be recognised more widely as a young carer, there was a gender difference. The male young carers suggested that it was not very important to them (though there was acknowledgment that it might be for others). One indicated that he preferred not to talk about it with friends or peers. Another said:

I feel like I've just got enough going on. I don't need the attention. I'm happy to just get on with my stuff. I don't need to be told I'm doing a good job all the time. Aged 18, caring for sibling

While some female young carers also indicated that recognition was not important to them, others thought it would be helpful. There were various reasons given for this: to increase understanding of why young carers may behave in certain ways; to stop people making "mean" comments; and to combat negative views of benefit recipients.

[Recognition would be] good so people know what young carers have to do and why they may act in a certain way if they are busy or worried. Aged 18, caring for grandmother

Young carers had mixed views on whether receiving the grant had helped them feel more recognised. Some felt that it had made no difference. One of these participants noted that only other young carers and his support group knew about it. More commonly, however, young carers did feel that it had helped at least little. There was a sense in which both the introduction/existence of the grant, and the fact that they had been deemed eligible to receive it, provided recognition and validation.

Yes, that they have allowed me to receive it and that I am eligible is enough recognition. Aged 18, caring for siblings

Thank you [to the Scottish Government] for appreciating us and taking the time to think about us, given everything else they need to do, especially during COVID […] It just feels very appreciative, it's a very, very positive feeling. Aged 18, caring for mother and sibling

A stakeholder suggested there may be knock-on benefits to the recognition provided by a Young Carer Grant award: young carers may feel more able to speak up (for example, if they are at a doctor's appointment with the cared-for person and are being ignored); it may help increase access to other support (discussed in the next section); and they may have more confidence to talk openly about their caring role, including to their cared-for person.

However, he also raised the concern that it may have the oppposite effect on people who apply but find they are not eligible^[14] – they may feel less recognised than they did before and,

…it might make them question their own caring role and not come forward for other support because think they are less of a carer than someone else. Stakeholder

Other impacts – opening up access to other support

As discussed in the Methodology chapter above, most of the young carers we spoke to were engaged with local young carers' groups and so were receiving support from workers there (who they met at the group and were sometimes in regular contact by phone) and from the other young carers at the group. However, COVID-19 restrictions had limited their ability to meet face-to-face.

Support from other sources was very mixed. Some reported receiving support from other family members, friends, school, university or work. Another participant had support from LGBT Youth Scotland and Youth Scotland who 'always have somebody to talk to'. The type of support varied and included emotional support, practical advice, and sympathy and understanding about deadlines and the need to take time off for caring responsibilities.

Others said that they did not receive support from these sources – though in some cases they did not want it and preferred not to talk about their caring responsibilities with friends or at school because they wanted a space where they could try and forget about being a carer. One participant described school as 'a getaway'.

Stakeholders felt that the grant had the potential to open up access to other support:

• the existence of the grant might spur people on to find out whether or not they were young carers – which in turn could lead to them joining a young carers' group and accessing other support
• contacting Social Security Scotland to apply for the grant provides the opportunity to sign-post people to services and, for example, tell them about the Young Carer Statement.^[15] This would be particularly beneficial for those not already engaged with services and for those not eligible for the grant but who may be eligible for other support
• if the process of applying for the grant is a positive experience, this may encourage young carers to apply for other support (such as Carers Allowance) in the future.

We do not have examples of the first two potential benefits, but this may because almost all the young carers we spoke to were already engaged with young carers' groups. The third potential benefit would take longer to assess than is possible within the timeframe for this research.

Limitations on impact

While there is evidence of Young Carer Grant having a positive impact – on young carers' ability to do things that are the norm for their non-caring peers, on their mental wellbeing and on their feelings of recognition – there is a limit to what a financial payment can do and it had no direct impact on some of the negative aspects of being a young carer that were most commonly mentioned by participants.

One of the main challenges of being a young carer is the lack of time to relax, 'do their own thing' and spend time with friends. As noted at the start of this chapter, although Young Carer Grant gave recipients the opportunity to take part in some activities with friends that they would not otherwise have been able to afford, and to treat themselves during their limited free time, it could not fundamentally increase the amount of free time they have available.

Young carers also had anxieties about the health of their cared-for person. Depending on the condition, these might be on-going concerns such as whether they might have a seizure, longer-term concerns about their health worsening or simply the difficulty of seeing someone they love being in pain and not being able to do anything about it. While, for some young carers, the grant did help reduce other specific stresses or have a positive impact on feelings of wellbeing more generally, it could not be expected to reduce these types of concerns.

A further challenge was a lack of understanding from teachers and college lecturers, which added to the strain of not having as much time to study. One participant described being "shouted at by a teacher for being late" and "harassed by a college lecturer for not keeping up with work" (both knew she was a young carer). While, in theory, the existence of Young Carer Grant may help raise awareness of young carers and the difficulties they may face, there was no evidence from research participants on it having this effect.