Half of Britons acting as 'carers' for friends or family members

Half of Britons are acting as "carers" for friends or relatives because of the coronavirus pandemic, Government data has shown.

Almost half (48 per cent) of UK adults said they had helped someone outside of their home during April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

This is a marked increase from 11 per cent of adults who reported providing a regular service or help to a sick, disabled, or elderly person not living with them during 2017-2018.

As a result, the figures suggest the proportion of adults providing help or support to someone outside their household rose fourfold in the first month of lockdown.

The ONS surveyed 6,400 people between April 3 and May 10 and analysed responses in its Understanding Society Covid-19 study. It also included responses from its Understanding Society study in 2017-18.

While the definitions the ONS used in the surveys differ slightly, it says this is still a "substantial increase" from before the coronavirus pandemic and a "useful indicator of change".

A third of the adults surveyed said they were helping someone they had not been supporting before the pandemic, and a similar proportion said they were giving more help to people they had helped previously.

Shopping was the most common activity people undertook as part of their caring responsibilities, while other actions included providing meals and helping with internet access, childcare and household chores.

The ONS researchers said: "People across the UK have been pulling together during the coronavirus pandemic in ways that are impacting across society but also changing responsibilities.

"From making an extra meal to buying essentials, almost half of people in the UK said that they provided help or support to someone outside of their household in the first month of lockdown in April 2020."

However, as more people took on caring responsibilities, a higher proportion of adults helping others reported poor mental health, the ONS said.

Roughly a fifth (21 per cent) of adults regularly helping a sick, disabled or elderly person not living with them reported symptoms of poor mental health in 2017-18.

This rose to three in 10 people (31 per cent) during April, with the largest changes observed in women. Poor mental health in the general population also increased.