Recognising your rights
This year, Carers Rights Day is on Thursday 21 November 2024 – and this year’s theme is recognising your rights.
Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or a friend – many of whom don’t see themselves as carers, often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits. This year’s theme is ‘recognising your rights’ – and our aim is to help carers recognise and understand their rights, and to access the support available to them, whenever they need it.
As a carer, knowing your rights empowers you with information about what you’re entitled to. This helps you feel confident asking for what you need, as well as challenging things when your rights are not being met – whether that be in the workplace or education, in accessing health or social care, or when interacting with other professionals or at home.
What are your rights?
Earlier this year (2024), the Carer’s Leave Act became law – giving employees juggling work with unpaid care the legal right to up to five days unpaid leave per annum. This will help many carers manage some of the day-to-day challenges they face – and help them stay in employment. For more information, see work and career.
If you are juggling work with your caring responsibilities, you have the right to request flexible working. The introduction of the new Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act means that anyone, including unpaid carers, can ask their employer for changes to their working hours, times of work, or place of work, from day one. They will also be able to change their flexible working arrangement more than once a year, which will be a huge help too. You can find more information here.
If you provide unpaid care, you can ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer on your patient record. The benefit of this is that you may then fall into a priority group for vaccines or other public health campaigns. Carers UK has information on how to talk to your GP – and even provides a useful letter template to download and use. You can find them on our website.
As a carer, it’s important to look after your health and wellbeing and one way is to exercise your right to request a free flu jab, if you’d like to. If you are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be put at risk if you became ill, or if you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, you should be offered a free flu jab. Speak to your GP or local pharmacist or see our website.
If you look after an older or disabled person, the law (Equality Act 2010) protects you against direct discrimination or harassment because of your caring responsibilities. (In Northern Ireland, carers are protected under the Human Rights Act and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act). You may also be protected under other laws, including disability or sex discrimination legislation. Understanding your rights can be useful if you feel you have been treated unfairly because of your caring role – you can read more on our website.
Like many carers, you may find it easier to continue in your caring role if you can get some support and assistance. If it appears that you have needs for support, you can request to have a carer’s assessment done. In Scotland, this is usually referred to as an adult carer support plan and in Wales it is often called a carer's needs assessment. If you’re over 18 and provide regular unpaid care for someone, you’re entitled to a carer’s assessment - it doesn’t matter how much or what sort of care you provide. Why not watch our animation on having a carer’s assessment?
If you are a carer and the person you care for is being discharged from hospital, the hospital must identify and consult with you, where possible. Carers UK has produced handy factsheets for carers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (including a Welsh language version) which explain your rights and what you can expect, helping take away some of the stress that can occur when someone close to you has been in hospital.
How does Carers UK work to improve carers rights?
Carers UK constantly campaigns for better rights for the UK’s unpaid carers, including securing landmark new rights for those juggling work with their caring responsibilities.
Ahead of the 2024 General Election, we called on all political parties to commit to transforming the lives of unpaid carers, should they come into power. See our manifesto for carers.
We’ll continue to campaign for better rights for all carers
Carers UK is campaigning for a future where all carers are properly recognised, valued and provided with the support they need to live a life beyond their caring responsibilities. We are working to achieve the following goals:
- Making caring the 10th protected characteristic
- Greater recognition and support to identify as a carer
- Clear rights not to be discriminated against because of their caring responsibilities
- A fairer social security system which supports carers to live a life free from poverty
- Consistent recognition, involvement, and support from the NHS
- Access to good quality and affordable social care, including the ability to take a break from caring
- Better workplace support including a right to paid time off to care for a family member or friend.
If you want to stay up-to-date with our campaigns, please sign up here.