Unpaid carers

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By definition, an unpaid carer may look after, or give help or support to anyone with long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age, whether they’re within or outside of the carer’s household. Note that the 2021 Census was conducted during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which may have affected how people perceived and undertook their provision of unpaid care [1]. 

At the 2021 Census, a total of 18,300 people in Waltham Forest reported that they provide unpaid care, down from 21,300 in 2011. This represents 8% of Waltham Forest’s population aged five and over, down from 11% in 2011, and similar to the rate in London (8%) and England as a whole (9%).  

Source: Office for National Statistics – Census 2021 Data Date accessed: 09 March 2023 

Around half of the residents providing unpaid care in Waltham Forest provide 19 hours or less of unpaid care a week (8,800), 4,400 residents provide 20 to 49 hours of unpaid care a week, and around 5,000 provide 50 or more hours of unpaid care a week.   

The proportion of residents aged five years and over providing up to 19 hours of unpaid care a week decreased from 6.0% in 2011 to 3.6% in 2021 and was lower than the London and England averages (3.8% and 4.4% respectively).  

However, the proportion of residents providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care increased from 1.6% in 2011, to 1.8% 2021. The proportion providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care in Waltham Forest decreased from 2.6% in 2011, to 2.3% in 2021.  

Source: Office for National Statistics – Census 2021 Data Date accessed: 09 March 2023 

References:    

[1] Office for National Statistics. Unpaid care, England and Wales: Census 2021. Date accessed: 27 March 2023.