Interim evaluation highlights positive impacts of Young Carer Grant
- Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
- Type: News Item
- Published: 26th August 2021
The evaluation found that the Young Carer Grant appeared to be meeting its overall aims of improving quality of life.
The Scottish Government have published the outcome of an interim evaluation into the Young Carer Grant (this link will take you away from our website.) Launched in October 2019, the Young Carer Grant is a one-off payment of £308.15 (in 2021/22) for young people aged 16 to 18 with caring responsibilities, which can be applied for annually. The aim of the grant is to provide recognition of their caring role and to help improve quality of life by enabling them to access opportunities which are normal for their non-caring peers.
A full evaluation of the Young Carer Grant is scheduled for 2023/24, with this interim review having examined the impact over the first 18 months. Overall, the grant was viewed positively by recipients and stakeholders, and was felt to be meeting its stated aims. Some of the things young carers spent the money on included clothes, socialising and hobbies, as well as savings, for example for driving lessons. These align closely to the things teenagers as a whole would tend to spend their money on. In some cases, young carers were using the money to cover the costs of food or rent, though these were exceptional.
Most recipients responding to the evaluation said the grant had made a positive impact on their life in general. The evaluation recognises the limited total impact a single payment can have, and identified no direct impact on some of the negative aspects of being a young carer, such as lack of time to relax or socialise with friends, and feeling anxious about the person they were caring for. Nonetheless, the grant was felt to have given them more control over their life, and to have contributed at least a little to providing recognition for their role.
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