Young Carer Grant regulations: consultation analysis

Other Comments

Respondents were asked to detail any other comments that they had in relation to the draft regulations.

Q11. Do you have any additional comments on the content and proposals of this document?

Some respondents took the opportunity to confirm their support for the Young Carer Grant, indicating it would provide much needed recognition and support to young carers:

"I think this is great, having a grant for young carers." (Individual)

It is hard, frustrating, time consuming and it has a massive impact on [the respondent's young carer's] day to day living. This grant would offer a much-needed boost for her to be able to have some time out with friends and possibly buy some personal items that we just can't afford." (Individual)

"[Organisation name] commends the Scottish Government for introducing the innovative Young Carer Grant, the first of its kind in the UK. We believe this grant goes some way to recognising the immense contribution of young carers in Scotland." (Organisation)

One respondent noted that young carers would not feel as restricted and 'different' as a result of the grant. Another stated that they liked the proposed 'yes or no' system (i.e. where young people are either eligible to receive the full grant or are not eligible) and that applicants would have the opportunity for a re-determination. They also liked the fact that it was non-discriminate (although others felt that possible discrimination was inherent, as discussed above).

Excluded Groups and Eligibility Limitations

When provided with an opportunity to give 'other comments', many respondents reiterated a number of issues/concerns discussed elsewhere in the consultation. It was generally felt (by both individuals and organisations) that the eligibility criteria were too narrow, meaning the grant would only help a very small number of young carers. The concerns and recommendations discussed included:

• Concerns over excluded groups of young carers, including those caring for people not on benefits (or where benefits have been stopped) and those providing mental health and emotional support. It was felt that those caring for people with mental health issues and addictions would be most at risk of being excluded under the existing criteria/definition;
• Recommendations that multiple carers should be permitted/supported by the Young Carer Grant and that the value of the grant should not decrease where more than one carer is available, including situations where there are multiple young carers and/or where there is an adult claiming Carer's Allowance providing care for the same cared-for person;
• Recommendations that hours of care provided to different cared-for persons can be combined, including care provided to siblings;
• Concerns that the age range for eligibility was too limited, and recommendations that this should be increased. Some respondents did not suggest an upper age limit but indicated this should reflect 'young people', while two respondents suggested that those up to age 20 should be eligible and another two suggested 'young adults' up to age 25 should also be eligible. Meanwhile, one respondent suggested those aged 15 should also be eligible, with two others suggesting that those with significant caring responsibilities aged under 16 should be eligible for a £300 parity voucher scheme (rather than a cash payment), and another suggested that the "grant should go upward to 50-60" (Individual);
• Recommendations that those aged 18 (and younger) should be eligible for the grant regardless of their educational/employment status, this included those in any form of full- or part-time education (including home education), apprenticeships, employment or those that are unemployed. In particular, it was noted that many young carers may leave school at 16 and enter college or university due to the increased flexibility this provides. It was also felt unfair that full-time students aged 18 were ineligible for both Carer's Allowance and the Young Carer Grant; and
• Recommendations that any re-application (annual or otherwise) should have the option for opt-in reminders or for renewal of the grant to be automatic.

One individual felt that consideration could be given to including young carer's who care for less than 16 hours a week. They felt they were still subject to valid caring responsibilities and there would be an impact on the young carer.

While not directly relevant to the Young Carer Grant, or answering the questions set within the consultation document, a few respondents highlighted what they considered to be a gap in the Carer's Allowance, i.e. the exclusion of full-time students from the eligibility criteria. This was seen as unfair and results in many students experiencing financial hardship. One organisation noted that student carers are four times more likely to drop out of college or university than those who are not carers and many list financial pressures as a key reason for dropping out. They requested that the Scottish Government recognise the contribution student carers make to society and remove the 21 hour/full-time study restrictions upon taking on full delivery of Carer's Allowance, or alternatively introduce a specific student carer's bursary.

Practical Implementation

Some respondents (both individuals and organisations) had concerns over the practical implementation of the grant.

A few respondents felt the draft regulations lacked detail regarding how the grant would operate in practice, for example, around the nature and extent of evidence that may be required in support of an application. One organisation suggested that, where young carers are known to an official young carer organisation, then that organisation could verify their caring. Another was concerned over the need for the cared-for person signing to confirm the young carer's application, noting that they might not have the capacity to do this, or may refuse:

"Signing 16 hours by cared-for person not realistic as cared-for persons may not have capacity to sign or refuse to." (Organisation)

Another organisation highlighted that, as the proposed funding was a grant and not an allowance, they did not understand why the same process was necessary for verifying the level of caring under the Young Carer Grant as is necessary under the Carer's Allowance. They suggested that there may be a need to employ different measures for young carers and that more simple solutions would be required in order to reach those most in need:

"If we want to get this grant to reach the most in need and support as many young carers in their education and wellbeing, should we consider other simple solutions…? Especially for those who will have trouble either asking the cared-for person for permission or verifying their caring by a benefit level." (Organisation)

One organisation also highlighted that not all young carers will have access to a bank account, and so preparatory work may be required to support them to open accounts:

"Not all young people will have a bank account, therefore work is also needed to ensure that young carers have access to bank or credit union accounts both in advance and on application. This should include preparatory work with relevant organisations and young carers' services on assisting young people to open such accounts." (Organisation)

A suggestion was put forward by one organisation that a 'break in care' rule could be implemented for the eligibility of the Young Carer Grant. They suggested that it would be possible for a young carer, who has provided significant levels of care over a long period of time, to be ineligible for the grant as a result of the cared-for person being hospitalised for a week or more during the 13 week period prior to the application. Such applicants would then have to wait a further 13 weeks after the cared-for person was discharged from hospital before being able to apply, thus delaying their access to the grant. Therefore, they recommended that the Young Carer Grant should make provision for a 'break in care', similar to the provision within the UK Carer's Allowance:

"We would therefore request the Scottish Government consider introducing a 'break from care' rule into the YCG scheme to allow for a short break (e.g. up to two weeks from the caring role owing to the cared-for person being hospitalised) to be included as part of the 13 week back period caring requirement on the grounds that it would be fair to do so." (Organisation)

Meanwhile, one individual felt that the grant could be open to abuse, while others (both organisations and individuals) were concerned that the grant may not be used for the purpose it was intended, with some fearing the money may become absorbed in household spending. One organisation suggested that young carers may have more ownership over a monthly payment, and felt that they should be given a choice between receiving a one-off annual payment or six incremental payments across the year. It was also suggested by a few respondents that there was a need to provide support to the young carer in this respect:

"My only concern is that providing a cash sum may lead to the monies not be used for the purpose it is intended for and would hope the young person will be provided with support to ensure this does not happen." (Individual)

One organisation felt it would be important to evaluate the success of the Young Carer Grant. They suggested that the Scottish Government review the grant a year after it has launched, and make any required changes based on any lessons learnt.

Value of the Grant

There were also calls for the monetary value of the grant to be increased. A few suggested that this could be a sensible consideration in individual cases and/or in rural areas where access to support services and travel costs can be challenging. Others suggested increasing the value of the grant for all young carers, with values of £450, £500, and £600 per year being cited as more appropriate/impactful:

"£300 is too low, it is essentially only £25 per month. It won't make a massive impact." (Individual)

"…based on the proposed hourly criteria (16 hours) each week that the Young Carer Grant equates to approximately 36 pence per hour. We do welcome that the grant will be increased annually with inflation. But we would like to see the value increase further to £600... £600 is still modest but would be a more significant amount of money that would have the potential to be more impactful for young carers." (Organisation)

One organisation also suggested that, while the provision for free bus travel was welcomed, they hoped this could be extended to a free travel card for use on all forms of transport. They felt this would be more helpful in ensuring young carers can remain in employment, education and training, and maximise family finances (this, however, was not covered by the current consultation).

Another organisation felt that the Scottish Government may need to manage expectations regarding the likely effectiveness of the grant. They noted that, compared to other support, such as the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) which provides higher levels of funding per person, the Young Carer Grant was likely to be less impactful:

"The Scottish Government needs to manage expectations as to the effectiveness that £500,000 across 1,700 people will make. [Organisation name] supports the overall principle of the grant but compared to EMA over an average year which is £1,170 per applicant then £300 will inevitably result in a less positive impact compared to EMA for example." (Organisation)

This respondent also felt that additional clarity could be provided regarding the scale and nature of the administrative overhead in order to better understand the value for money for the Scottish taxpayers. They felt it was unclear currently whether this administrative overhead was included in the £500,000 allocated for the grant or if this would be in addition.

Promotion of the Young Carer Grant

A few individuals suggested methods for advertising and/or promoting sign-up for the grant. This included advertising through schools or social media, for example using Glow^[2] and/or Facebook, and allowing young carers to sign-up through schools and/or at local libraries and other public buildings.

Organisations also felt that the promotion of the Young Carer Grant would be key to its uptake:

"Without national promotional campaigns targeted at young carers, carer support services and education providers then there could be many young people who are eligible for the Young Carer Grant who do not apply." (Organisation)

Promotional campaigns needed to be wide ranging and suitable, it was suggested, as well as covering a long list of venues. Support networks and services identified for engagement included:

• Schools, colleges and universities;
• Professionals working with young people (e.g. college bursary officers, skills development officers, additional needs assistants, social workers, family support workers);
• Youth centres and youth groups;
• GP surgeries;
• Local authority contact centres/Citizen's Advice;
• Religious centres/groups;
• Sports groups;
• Disability and condition specific organisations and carers' organisations; and
• Young carers' organisations.

It was also suggested that social media should be harnessed and used for promotional activities, and that targeted promotion would be required to take account of marginalised groups and underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, rural and island communities, gypsy/traveller communities, people with learning disabilities and people with experience of homelessness. One respondent also suggested that any advertising could also highlight other support that may be available to young people:

"Given the relatively limited number of young carers who will benefit for the grant, the Scottish Government should consider promotion also highlighting other support that may available including a young carer's statement, educational maintenance allowance, etc." (Organisation)

One organisation also felt that it would be important for Social Security Scotland to liaise with Scottish Government colleagues who have responsibility for the implementation of Young Carers Statements (YCS) to ensure that eligibility for the young carer grant is discussed during consideration of the need for a YCS. They felt that young people should be signposted to the Young Carer Grant application by those responsible for assessing the YCS. Social Security Scotland should also provide young carers with information regarding the availability of a YCS, it was felt.

Another organisation queried whether it might be likely that the numbers of young carers identifying themselves and seeking support from care centres might increase which, ultimately, they considered would be a positive consequence.

Finally, some respondents (typically individuals) felt that the consultation document had not been user friendly for young people. They noted that the wording and terminology used was not always suitable for young people, while one organisation suggested the document was overly complex compared to the limited amount of money available to individuals via the grant:

"This document isn't very young person friendly due to the wording and terms. To get the best out of young people it needs to be on their level." (Individual)