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Young Adult Carers: Education and Training
23 April 2026
Lead MP
Christopher Vince
Harlow
Lab Co-op
Responding Minister
Josh MacAlister
Tags
NHSEducationEmploymentMental HealthChildren & Families
Word Count: 7048
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Christopher Vince raised concerns about young adult carers: education and training in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP calls for improved identification of carers, [7D [K carers, financial support to remove barriers, cross-Government strategies o [1D [K on young carers, better transition assessments by local authorities, and im [2D [K improved data collection on young adult carers.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The APPG report found that over 40,000 young adult c [1D [K carers are caring for their loved ones for more than 50 hours per week. Onl [3D [K Only a quarter of respondents said they had the same access to opportunitie [12D [K opportunities in education, with 73% feeling they were falling behind their [5D [K their peers and 79% citing caring as impacting mental health and career pla [3D [K plans.
Redditch
The hon. Gentleman highlighted the importance of cha [3D [K challenging both the Government and educational establishments to ensure th [2D [K that young carers can thrive in college environments, praising Michelle Dow [3D [K Dowse at Heart of Worcestershire College for providing one-to-one support a [1D [K and transitional visits.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon highlighted the challenges faced by youn [4D [K young adult carers in Northern Ireland, noting that there are approximately [13D [K approximately 17,500 child and young adult carers representing roughly 8% o [1D [K of unpaid carers. He pointed out that over 2,500 carers under the age of 15 [2D [K 15 provide significant care, with more than 10% providing over 50 hours of [K care weekly. Shannon emphasized the educational difficulties these young ca [2D [K carers face and their higher likelihood to live in poverty due to caring re [2D [K responsibilities. Suggested that the hon. Member for Harlow should be [K at a meeting to discuss issues relevant to young adult carers, and proposed [8D [K proposed that he could provide feedback on how it went.
Saqib Bhatti
Con
Meriden and Solihull East
Paid tribute to young carers in the UK, noting there [5D [K there are an estimated 1 million young carers aged up to 18. Emphasized the [3D [K the impact of caring responsibilities on education and highlighted previous [8D [K previous government initiatives such as the pupil premium and Young Carers [K in Schools programme. Raised concerns about the ongoing challenges faced by [2D [K by young carers, including difficulty accessing training and educational op [2D [K opportunities due to their roles.
Victoria Collins
Liberal Democr [6D [K Democrat
Harpenden and Berkhamsted
Ms Collins highlighted the significant challenges fa [2D [K faced by young adult carers, noting that over 131,000 individuals aged 16 t [1D [K to 24 provide at least 20 hours of unpaid care weekly. She raised concerns [K about the impact on their education and training, with fewer than half leav [4D [K leaving secondary school with five GCSEs including English and maths, and A [1D [K A-level success rates being 60% lower compared to non-carers. Ms Collins al [2D [K also discussed the invisibility felt by young carers and called for better [K support through initiatives such as appointing a young carers lead in every [5D [K every school and college, abolishing the 21-hour rule for carers' allowance [9D [K allowance, restoring maintenance grants, and making caring a protected char [4D [K characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
Government Response
Josh MacAlister
Government Response
Thanked the Member for Harlow for securing the deba [4D [K debate and acknowledged the work of the APPG chaired by him. Recognised the [3D [K the challenges faced by young carers and the Government's efforts to suppor [6D [K support them through various initiatives, including data publication, Ofste [5D [K Ofsted framework changes, cross-Government meetings, and an upcoming action [6D [K action plan. Emphasized the provision of bursaries for further education st [2D [K students aged 16 to 19 and maintenance grants for higher education students [8D [K students from low-income households. Mentioned ongoing discussions about ca [2D [K carer's allowance and its impact on full-time students, committing to follo [5D [K follow up with relevant Ministers on these issues.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.