Carers Rights Day………

It’s Carers Rights Day (Thursday 25 November 2021). Make sure if you, or someone you know, is an unpaid family carer, that you are aware of their rights and how you can access the support you are entitled to.

An unpaid carer is anyone who cares for their friend or family member who due to illness, disability, mental health problems or an addiction, cannot cope without their support, or need extra help as they grow older.

Carers have the right to ask their Borough Council for an assessment of their caring role, to be able to receive any financial and practical support they might need.

For young carers the local authority will look at the impact of caring, and whether it’s appropriate for the young person to be carrying out the role and what additional support would help.

If the person being cared for is struggling to cope, carers are entitled to arrange a Needs Assessment from the council for them.

Local authorities are also required to assess the needs of parent carers of a child with additional needs or a learning or physical disability.

If you are an unpaid carer check whether you are entitled to one or more state benefits:

• Carer’s Allowance is the main state benefit for carers.
• Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance (NI) contribution to help make sure you do not lose out on some social security benefits, such as the State Pension, because of gaps in your NI record.
• Carer Premium – an allowance on top of some benefits.
• Disability Living Allowance for children – if you’re the parent carer of a disabled child.

Carers juggling work with their caring role, have employment rights. These include the right to request flexible working and the right to take unpaid time off during emergencies without affecting their employment.

Carers have the right to register as a carer with their GP. Doctors can then help carers with any physical or mental health issues they may have due to their caring role and they can refer carers to support from other organisations which may benefit them.

By registering as a carer the practice should be more flexible in terms of finding appointments, as well as making carers aware they are entitled to a free winter flu jab and the Covid booster vaccine.

Carers also have a right to be consulted on hospital discharges of the person they are caring for. You may be entitled to have a Support Worker on site, who can liaise with hospital staff on a carer’s behalf to get them all the discharge and treatment information they need.