Looking for work

If you have given up work (or not worked at all) because of your caring responsibilities you may want to work or return to work once your caring role ends, or you may decide you want to combine care with work.

Here are some common questions carers ask Carers UK:

What happens to my benefits?

If the person you care for has died, your financial situation is likely to change. If you are no longer caring, your entitlement to Carer's Allowance will stop and you will need to find out about which other benefit(s) you can claim. You may also have to think about returning to work. Help is available and it is important to seek advice about what to do next. more...

If you are thinking of combining work and care, you may be able to do this and continue to claim some benefits. Carer's Allowance can be paid to working carers as long as you earn no more than £87 a week (after certain deductions). You may be able to claim other benefits such as Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. You may also be entitled to extra help when you start work e.g. Job Grant, Extended Payments of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit.

If you are thinking about returning to work or changing your hours, ask your local advice centre or Jobcentre Plus for a better off calculation so that you know how starting work will affect your income, and that you claim all the help you can.

If you are not sure which benefits you could claim or what help you can get to help you find work, call CarersLine on 0808 808 7777 or go to your local advice centre.

Any tips to help me identify my skills and interests?

First steps

If you are thinking about returning to work, but aren't sure what you would like to do, start by recognising the skills and interests you have.

Think about what you have learned from:

• any paid work that you have done
• tasks and responsibilities involved in your role as a carer, a parent, and running a home
• any other activities that you do, for example, voluntary work, committees,

Then identify your interests; think about: 

• what you enjoy doing
• how you would like to use your skills
• things you miss doing that you once did e.g. previous work

Think about how you can gain confidence to use your skills in new ways:

• You may want to find a course which will offer you training in personal development - for example, confidence building, assertiveness training or managing stress
• City and Guilds, the leading provider of vocational qualifications, has developed a learning programme specifically for carers and former carers

Think about what employers want:

• make the time you have spent caring and your caring role a positive feature of your CV and job application
• identify the transferable skills you have gained through caring that fit with employers needs

Make a plan

Think about short and long term goals and make a plan of what you would like to do. Make sure the plan is achievable - include small steps as well as your long term goals. Once you know what you want to do, you can look for the right kind of support to help you.

Can I get support to help me get back into training and work?

Whether you are a former carer or are still caring, you may need support in returning to work or training after a period out of the workplace. There are many places that may be able to help you:

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus can tell you about the range of help they offer, both to find work, and to help you out when you start work. This could be

• training programmes (including New Deal programmes), to learn new skills or refresh existing skills
• support to make applications, write your CV or prepare for interviews
• financial help when you move into work

When you make a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance, you will have a jobseeker's interview which looks at your skills and qualifications, the type of work you want and are able to do and the steps you will take to find work. When you are asked about your job skills and experience, make sure that you include the skills you have gained and used as a carer as well as those you may have from previous employment.

If you want to combine work and caring and you are claiming Carer's Allowance (or Income Support as a carer), you can ask for a work focused interview at any time. This is an opportunity to meet with an adviser to talk through the help you need to return to work.

Local authority

If you want to combine work and caring, ask your social services department (or social work department) for a carer's assessment. In England and Wales, this must take into account your wish (or need) to work, and the help you might need from social services to be able to do this.

Your local authority can also tell you about the alternative care available in your area e.g. day centres, home helps.

Other

• Find out if your local area  has a Carers' Centre or Carers' Project which offers advice and guidance for carers wishing to return to work or training - the first stage may be support in gaining the confidence to take new steps
• Find out from your local authority, a carers' organisation or a voluntary organisation such as Crossroads what alternative care is available in your area that would enable you to work or train
• Contact your local Learning and Skills Council (Local Enterprise Companies in Scotland and Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland) and find out if local colleges or adult education centres give concessions to carers on benefits
• Call your local learning help line (get the number from your Learning and Skills Council), or Learn Direct on 0800 100 900, and for careers advice or find out what courses are available locally or on-line