Half of ‘sandwich generation’ have under 35 minutes a day to themselves

Nearly two million UK adults have barely half an hour of free time a day, because of the dual challenges of caring for younger and older relatives.

A study by Aviva into the so-called ‘sandwich generation’ has found that the pressure of caring for a dependent child and another sick, disabled or elderly adult family member is having a major impact on wellbeing.

Almost half (47%) of people questioned said they have a maximum of four hours a week to themselves – equivalent to less than 35 minutes per day – while almost one in 10 (7%) said they have no free time whatsoever. Around two fifths of people questioned (42%) said they spend at least 10 hours a week caring for family members.

An ageing population and a shift towards becoming a parent later in life means that an ever-increasing number of people are sacrificing their wellbeing, their finances and their time to look after those around them.

The rising cost of living and difficulty getting on the housing ladder also means that children are often dependent on their parents for longer.

There are 3.4 million 20 to 34-year-olds in the UK who are still living with their parents – an increase of 25% over the last two decades, according to Office for National Statistics data.

The polling carried out by YouGov on behalf of Aviva also found:

• Just two in five adults (38%) who provide care to both a child and an older relative are aware of the financial support that might be available to them.
• Exactly half the people who identified as being part of the ‘sandwich generation’ said they had not earmarked savings specifically for the costs associated with caring.
• The majority of people questioned (57%) had neither critical illness cover nor life insurance.

Aviva’s  Interim Chief People Officer, Caroline Prendergast, said: 

“Millions of people are juggling careers and caring duties – often with responsibilities at both ends of the age spectrum. This can be physically, emotionally and financially exhausting and all too often has a serious impact on the carer’s wellbeing. 

“If businesses are to retain talented, skilled people in work and look after their wellbeing, it’s crucial they consider how they can support them. Otherwise, there is a real risk that, like one in five working carers, they may leave the workforce in order to provide care.” 

Sarah Brennan, from Bristol, works as a Risk Manager for Aviva. She has been a single parent to her son since he was seven weeks old. He is now 18 but her mother is 85 and requires extra support.

She said: “Now my son is 18, he is largely independent, but my mum increasingly needs my help, so she has been living with us for the last four years.

“I love having them both around but there are times when there are demands coming from all sides. There aren’t enough hours in the day and the pressures of two generations relying on you can take its toll.

Aviva has a range of schemes and benefits to help employees balance their work and their personal lives. These include:

• Additional support to colleagues who are carers, such as flexible working options and a carers’ network. Aviva’s carer policy offers 35 hours’ paid leave per holiday year for emergencies or planned medical appointments.
• A “Mid-life-MOT” for employees aged 45 and over, which provides guidance on how to manage wealth, work and wellbeing at a crucial stage in life.
• A global equal parental leave policy, giving any parent employed by Aviva the same amount of paid and unpaid time off when a new child arrives, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or how they became a parent (birth, adoption, surrogacy). In the UK, this means up to 12 months of leave, including six months at full pay.

-ENDS-

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 6,707 adults of which 534 (7.9%) identified as ‘sandwich generation’. Applying this at an all-population level, there are 45,812,000 people in the UK aged 16-70, which means a total of 3,619,148 people in the ‘sandwich generation’ (7.9%). UK population figures based on ONS Mid-year estimates 2017.  YouGov fieldwork was undertaken between 1 - 6 March 2019.  The survey was carried out online.

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