Caring for Carers? The Effect of Public Subsidies on the Wellbeing of Unpaid Carers

Arbeitspapier

We study the effect of long-term care (LTC) subsidies and supports on the wellbeing of unpaid caregivers. We draw on evidence from a policy intervention, that universalized previously means-tested caregiving supports in Scotland, known as free personal care (FPC). We document causal evidence of an increase in the well-being (happiness) of unpaid carers after the introduction of FPC. Our estimates suggest economically relevant improvements in the happiness (12pp increase in subjective wellbeing) among caregivers exposed to FPC and that provide at least 35 hours of care per week. Consistently, these results are larger among women and non-actively employed caregivers (17pp increase in happiness). Estimates are not driven by selection into caregiving (we find similar wellbeing effects among caregivers at baseline and caregivers throughout the sample), and are driven by income effects of FPC among caregivers.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 15369

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply
• Subject: caregiver's wellbeing ; subjective wellbeing ; long-term care subsidies ; caregiving ; Scotland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Costa-Font, Joan ; D’Amico, Francesco ; Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2022

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/263585
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET