Passed Policies and Progress

Voice Notes: 1. There are 6.5 million people in the UK, representing 10% of the population that care for an elderly or disabled relative. 2. It is estimated by 2030 the number of carers in the UK will have increased by 60%. 3. Carers provide an invaluable service to their cared for person/s, but also to their local community and to Scotland. 4. There is no national, comprehensive data available on the amount of students in further and higher education who are also carers. 5. 42% of students with caring responsibilities have paid employment alongside their time spent in education and caring to support them in their studies. 6. Carers in receipt of carers allowance who enter full time education automatically lose their entitlement to carers allowance. 7. Student with caring responsibilities are receiving the same funding as their peers. 8. Student carers have to sacrifice study or employment time in order to provide care. 9. Young adult carers are four times more likely to drop out of university than their peers. Student Voice Resolves: 1. The executive committee to research how many student carers are in full time education at UWS. 2. The executive committee to campaign for funds to be set aside to support carers whilst in full time education at UWS. 3. The Executive Committee to lobby UWS to routinely ask all their students if they have caring responsibilities through the annual admissions process 4. The executive committee to lobby the government to change the restrictions placed on carers receiving carers allowance wishing to go into full time education. 5. The executive committee to raise this issue with NUS Scotland through a motion to their National Conference as soon as possible. 6. For SAUWS to support students at this university by adding our pledge to the Going Higher in Scotland campaign and to lobby UWS and NUS Scotland to do the same.

Voice Believes: 1. The fact there is no national, comprehensive data on the amount of student carers in Further and Highter Education suggests there could be a large amount of students who are carers and are not receiving the support they are entitled to. 2. Students with caring responsibilities who have to work as well as manage their education and caring responsibilities in order to support their studies are under immense pressure. Therefore they are more at risk of mental illness and dropping out of their course. 3. Students with caring responsibilities may be less likely to return to full time education due to losing benefits and if they do return to education, it could reduce the number of unpaid carers in our society which in turn will increase the work load for our already struggling NHS 4. Students with caring responsibilities coming into full time education may feel they are being penalised when they are no longer receiving the benefit recognising them as a carer. 5. Students who have caring responsibilities and are not receiving support will struggle and this will have a negative effect on their studies.

This is an old policy due to lapse. It can be renewed or allowed to lapse.