Sandwich Generation Under Strain as Britons Put Off Parenthood

(Bloomberg) -- They are the Sandwich Generation. More than 1.3 million people in the U.K. are now caring for elderly or sick parents as well as their own children.

Their emergence is the result of rising life expectancy and more people leaving it until later to have children, often to pursue careers or build financial security. But, as new analysis shows, the squeeze is taking a heavy toll.

One in three sandwich carers say they are “just about getting by” financially, and one in 10 are finding it difficult to cope, according to the Office for National Statistics. They are also more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

The sandwich generation now represents around 3 percent of the U.K. population, the ONS said on Monday. More than 72 percent are between age 35 and 54, and 62 percent are women. The average age of mothers in 2017 increased to a record 30.5 years, over four years older than in 1975.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Brian Swint, David Goodman

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.