About the Census

What have we learnt from the 2001 Census?

The 2001 Census has told us:

1. How many carers there are in every ward: no other survey can give this level of detail. Losing the question will mean that local authorities and health bodies will no longer have a reliable and tailored data source on which to plan services.  Without this, they will return to guess work and planning on what they think is right, rather than what they know to be true.
2. How carers’ health suffers relative to the rest of the population: carers are twice as likely as non-carers to suffer ill-health
3. The extent of social exclusion among carers: carers are likely to be concentrated in areas of high deprivation
4. People from BME communities are significantly more likely to be carers. This is the first time that we’ve had reliable data on carers from minority communities. Without the question, they will become more invisible again
5. Carers providing substantial care are more likely to be clustered in low-level jobs, meaning that carers are working below their potential. Data on carers’ employment is essential to monitor the impact of the right to request flexible working which was introduced in April 2007.
6. Some carers suffer multiple deprivation through not having work, being from a BME community, etc. We can only find this out as a result of the Census data
7.  These data show that caring is an equalities issue. Without the data, they become invisible again.

If the Census question is not repeated, we will not be able to accurately compare the change in the number of carers since 2001. At a time when Government is preparing a ten-year National Carers Strategy, continuity of data is essential.

Isn’t there another survey that can give us this information?

The main survey which has given us information about carers in the past is the General Household Survey. Government has no plans to repeat this survey in the same form.

However, Government is introducing a new Integrated Household Survey which will replace five surveys, including the General Household Survey, Omnibus Survey, Labour Market Survey and others. A ‘module’ on carers can be carried out as part of the Omnibus section of the Integrated Household Survey part of this survey. The health and social care information body ‘The Information Centre’ is currently exploring this option and is looking to carry out such a survey in 2008.

The benefits of this survey are:

• It could include many more questions about carers, including new questions about Carer’s Assessments and benefits, giving us more detailed information about carers.
• It could be carried out every 5 years so that changes could be monitored more regularly.

 The disadvantages of this survey are:

• It is only carried out among those aged over 16 so it would tell us nothing about young carers.
• It is a representative survey of 16,000 people which is too small a number to give data on small groups, such as BME communities.
• The sample size is too small to give data on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They would have to use Great Britain figures or commission their own surveys.
• It would not be possible to know how many carers are in a small area, such as a ward.