Two-thirds of young carers say having their own laptop helped balance education with care duties

Two-thirds of young carers said having a laptop helped them balance school with caring for a family member, making a significant difference to their education, confidence, social connection and future plans, according to research from the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA).

The findings, published this week at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, come from Caring and Connected: Empowering Young Carers in a Digital World, which evaluates the DPA’s Tech4YoungCarers programme. Sponsored by E2BN, the programme provides young carers and young adult carers aged 11 to 25 with a laptop, connectivity and digital skills support.

The research found that 96% of participants reported a positive impact on their educational attainment, while 94% said they felt more confident working towards their GCSEs or A Levels. 

65% said their laptop had helped them balance education with caring responsibilities, while average digital confidence rose from 6.7 to 7.3 out of 10.

The benefits extended beyond education, with 82% saying they felt more socially included after receiving their device. More than half of those who had experienced loneliness said their laptop had helped them feel less isolated, while 66% said it had helped them prepare for their future, including researching careers and courses, preparing CVs and exploring higher education.

Before receiving a device, young carers described sharing technology at home, relying on older devices, completing schoolwork on their phones or staying behind at school to use a computer.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, commented: 

“For young carers, having access to the right technology can make the difference between being able to keep up with education and having to work around the limitations of what is available at home. The fact that 96% of participants reported a positive impact on their educational attainment and confidence is a huge indicator that with the right support, technology can unlock potential and opportunities for young carers they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.  

“But the findings also show that this is about much more than schoolwork. Young carers told us that having a laptop they could rely on gave them greater independence, helped them feel more connected and gave them more space to think about their own future. We want to see digital access recognised as a fundamental part of the support young carers receive, so that caring responsibilities do not also become a barrier to participating in an increasingly digital world.”

E2BN has sponsored Tech4YoungCarers since its launch in 2024, helping the programme expand across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Milton Keynes.

The report calls for digital inclusion to become a more consistent part of support for young carers, including greater action from schools and colleges to identify young people without suitable devices or reliable connectivity at home.