Future of an Ageing Population

Future of an Ageing Population | A Central Role for Families
familial relationships. In summary, we will see an increase in the number of
living generations, but a decrease in the absolute number of living relatives.
There are ramifications of these changes for individuals, society and policymakers.
The first is that there may be increased demand for housing appropriate
for multiple generations co-habiting. Currently the UK has lower levels of
intergenerational living than many other European countries (see Figure 4.4)
but demographic changes may put pressure on this.
Second, there appears to be an opportunity to maximise the positive impacts
of grandparenting. Longer life has heightened the likelihood of people having
four living grandparents at birth, as well as at the transition to adulthood.
Grandparents already play a significant role in the provision of childcare. One
study showed that the value of grandparental childcare to the UK economy
was £7.3 billion in 2013, almost twice the estimate for 2004 142 . The millennium
cohort study found that grandparents provided at least some care for 42% of
families with a 9 month old infant, rising to 71% of families where the mother
was in employment or studying 143 . Availability of grandparent care helps
younger generations remain in employment, fosters a child’s sense of wellbeing
and is likely to present opportunities for greater sharing of skills and support.
Grandparents who are enabled to provide child care for their grandchildren
allow women in particular to maintain full-time employment and full pension
contributions. Providing unpaid care and grandparenting may also promote
resilience in later life 21 .
Considering the evidence relating to the increasing plurality of family types,
grandparents may become more important to grandchildren when parents
separate 144 . Within the context of step-families, grandparents can have a
stabilising role during the separation process 145 . Research has also suggested
that the rising proportion of single parent families leads to grandparents having
more responsibility for financial support and care provision 146 . Higher levels
of divorce in later life may give rise to new concerns over rights to maintain
relationships with grandchildren after the divorce of parents, an issue which
may become more prominent for policy-makers in the coming years.
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