Local MP and Charity call for young carers bus pass

5th February 2019

Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh, in partnership with local charity Sheffield Young Carers, has submitted a petition to Sheffield City Council calling for young carers in Sheffield to be given a free bus pass.

The petition, signed by more than 1,950 people, explains that giving young carers a free travel pass will allow them to undertake their caring responsibilities more easily, as well as carry on with their education, training or employment. There are an estimated 7,300 young carers under the age of 18 in Sheffield. The average age of a young carer is just 12, with many providing care from a much younger age. These children and young people provide unpaid care for family members who have a long-term physical illness, a disability, mental health issues and/or substance misuse issues. Many people with disabilities already qualify for free public transport within Sheffield but those caring for them do not, and young carers under the age of 16 are not eligible to receive Carer's Allowance. By providing free care, these young people save the Government billions of pounds each year. Young carers have to travel more than their peers, to do the shopping, accompany their family to medical appointments and to take their siblings to places including school if their parents can't. Alongside their caring responsibilities, young carers also use public transport to travel to school, college, university or work and to socialise. Travel concessions for carers vary hugely across the country and some councils already work with transport authorities to give young carers a free travel pass. Louise Haigh MP has said: -Young carers give so much to help their loved ones and it's time they got something in return. -Other local authorities have managed to get travel schemes in place for their young carers, so Sheffield can do it too. -Being able to travel freely and have a social life is so vital for young people regardless of caring responsibilities. Sheffield Young Carers is an independent charity, established in 1997, to support young carers across the city. Laura Selby, deputy manager at Sheffield Young Carers, has said: -The young carers we support tell us time and time again what a huge difference free travel would make to their lives. -At Sheffield Young Carers, many of the young carers we support are from low-income families who are struggling to make ends meet. A free travel pass would not only save young carers a considerable amount of time and money it would also allow them to enjoy much-needed breaks from their caring and the social life which so many young carers currently miss out on.     For further information and to sign Louise Haigh MP's petition, please visit www.sheffieldyoungcarers.org.uk/news/sign-our-petition