There are around six million carers in the UK, which means approximately one in six households has a carer. Many people don't identify themselves as carers, but if you look after someone who's ill, frail, disabled or unable to cope, you are one.
A carer is someone who looks after a friend, family member or neighbour who is physically or mentally ill, elderly or disabled, or needs help with day-to-day living. This doesn't include professional care workers such as nurses in residential care homes or assistants employed by disabled people - carers aren't paid for their work.
NHS.uk provides advice and support for carers offering all the information you should need to get the financial help you’re entitled to, as well as advice on getting a break from caring, going to work and much more.
Advice for carers includes:
- Benefits for carers
- Caring for a child with complex needs
- Young carers' rights
- Support for young carers
- Carers' assessments
Unpaid carer’s leave
Since the intrduction of the Carer's Leave Act on the 6 April 2024 unpaid carers are entitled to take up to a weeks unpaid leave a year.
If you are an unpaid carer and an employee you can take up to one week of leave every 12 months. A ‘week’ means the length of time you usually work over 7 days, e.g. if you usually works 3 days a week, you can take 3 days of carer’s leave. You can take your carers leave in one go or you can take individual days or half days throughout the year.
Full details are available at the following links:
Help for Carers
If you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone about what options are available to you, the Carers Direct helpline service is available 7 days a week on 0300 123 1053.
Alternatively you can contact Carers Direct by:
Carers UK
Carers UK is the leading national charity for unpaid carers. They support, advocate for, champion and connect carers across the UK, so that no one has to care alone.
They offer a wide range of advice and support at the following links:
- Financial support
- Practical support
- Helpline and other support
- Your health and wellbeing
- Work and career
- Guides and tools
- Technology and equipment
- COVID-19 guidance
- Support where you live
Carers Active
Carers UK have published a best practice guide providing a valuable resource to help support carers to be more physically active and benefit from increased health and wellbeing.available at this link.
Additional Advice
Further advice and support on being a carer can be found at the following links:
Supporting and caring for a child or young person with mental health needs
Information and advice on supporting and caring for a child or young person with mental health needs is available at the following links:
GOV.UK have produced a toolkit to help parents and carers make financial decisions on behalf of young people from ages 14 to 25 who may lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves, available here.
Support Groups
Talking to other carers can be helpful. The following organisations run support groups and provide advice, information and support on issues such as benefits and respite care.
Discussion boards
IndependentAge provides a downloadable Guide to Support for Carers.
Counselling Directory provides support and counselling for carers and as welll as a directory to help you find a counsellor or psychotherapist near you dealing with Carer Support.
Taking a break from Caring
There are several ways that you can take a break from caring and these are listed at:
Carer's Allowance, Carer Premium and Carer's Credit
You may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance & Carers Premium if you are over 16 and care for someone with a disability for more than 35 hours a week.
If you’re caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week but dont qualify for Carer's Allowance you may be entitled to Carer's Credit.
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