Carers Hub

If you look after a family member, partner or friend who could not manage without your help because of illness, disability, a mental health condition or an addiction, you are an unpaid carer. This is true even if you do not live with them, and even if you also work or study.

Rules and support differ across the UK. England and Wales give carers a right to a carer's assessment under their own social care laws. Scotland uses Adult Carer Support Plans and Carer Support Payment instead of some England and Wales schemes. Northern Ireland has its own arrangements through Health and Social Care Trusts. Each section below notes where the nations differ.

Not sure what you are entitled to? Try the rights checker or look for support near you in local services.

• Identifying as a carer

  Many people who provide care for a family member, partner or friend do not think of themselves as a 'carer'. Recognising this can open the door to assessments, benefits and support.

• Carer's assessment

  In England and Wales, carers have a legal right to ask their council for an assessment of their own needs, separate from the assessment of the person they care for.

• Carer's Allowance and Universal Credit

  Carer's Allowance is the main UK benefit for carers, but the rules interact with Universal Credit and other benefits in ways that can be confusing.

• Parent carers

  Parents and guardians of disabled children have some rights and support that are different from adult carers, alongside the wider disabled children's system.

• Young carers

  Children and young people who care for a family member have their own rights to assessment and support, and schools and colleges can play an important role.

• Caring for someone with fluctuating or complex needs

  Conditions that vary day to day, or that involve several overlapping health and social needs, bring particular planning and communication challenges for carers.

• Hospital discharge and care planning

  Discharge from hospital can happen quickly, and carers often need to speak up early to make sure the right support is in place at home.

• Respite and replacement care

  Breaks from caring, whether short or longer, can be arranged in several ways, including through council funding, direct payments or charity schemes.

• Employment rights for carers

  Carers who work have specific legal rights, including unpaid carer's leave and the right to request flexible working.

• Wellbeing and crisis support

  Caring can affect your own physical and mental health. Recognising warning signs early and knowing where to get support can prevent a crisis.

• Emergency planning

  An emergency plan sets out what should happen to the person you care for if you are suddenly unable to care for them, for example because of your own illness or an accident.

• Carer's Credit and protecting your State Pension

  Carer's Credit is a National Insurance credit for carers who do not qualify for Carer's Allowance, helping protect your State Pension record.

• Studying while caring

  Students with caring responsibilities can access specific support from colleges, universities and student finance systems, though provision varies widely.

• Moving to Direct Payments

  A direct payment is money paid by the council instead of arranging services itself, giving carers and disabled people more choice and control over their support.

• Caring for someone with dementia

  Dementia care often changes over time, and carers may need to plan for increasing support needs, communication changes, and decisions about future care.

• Caring for someone with a learning disability

  Carers of people with a learning disability often support them across childhood and adulthood, with particular attention needed at the transition to adult services.

• Caring for someone with a mental illness

  Caring for a family member or friend with a mental illness can involve unique challenges around crisis response, confidentiality and your own emotional wellbeing.

• Wills, trusts and future planning

  Planning what happens to money, property and care arrangements after a carer's death, or as the cared-for person's needs change, is often put off but can matter enormously.

• Money, grants and practical help for carers

  Beyond the main benefits, a range of grants, discounts and practical schemes can help carers with specific costs.

• When caring ends

  Caring can end for many reasons, including recovery, a move into residential care, or bereavement. Carers often need practical and emotional support through this transition.