Knowing your rights as a carer helps you access the support and resources you are entitled to.
Whether it’s financial help, workplace support, or legal protections, understanding your rights gives you the confidence to care for others while looking after your own wellbeing.
What are my rights to have support for my caring role and identify as a carer?
You have the right to request a Carers Assessment that considers your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing and identifies the support you need to manage in your caring role. Young Carers (under 18) also have the right to an assessment, which will look at the impact of caring, whether you wish to continue caring and if it’s appropriate for you.
Your GP can identify you as a carer on you patient record which may put you in a priority group for vaccines and other public health campaigns.
Your rights at work
When you are caring it can be extremely difficult to juggle paid work with caring responsibilities. Understanding your rights at work help you manage your work commitments alongside your caring role.
These rights come from legislation passed by the government (‘statutory rights’) but you also will have rights in your contract of employment (‘contractual rights’) which could be more generous.
Your main statutory rights include:
In 2024 a law was passed giving working carers the legal right to up to one week unpaid leave per year to support your caregiving role. You also have the right to take a certain amount of parental leave to provide care for your child.
Flexible working can be a way of managing your work life balance and help you maintain work and caring. You can ask your employer for changes to your working hours, times of work, or place of work.
You also are entitled to take reasonable time off to deal with unexpected problems or emergencies with close family members or other people who depend on you.
This may protect your pension if you have had to give up employment so you can care for someone.
You have the right to be protected from discrimination or harassment because you have caring responsibilities.
What are my rights regarding health services?
Carers should be involved in decisions about a patient's (cared-for) care, including diagnosis, treatment, and discharge plans.
Free flu jab: you have the right to request a free flu jab if you are the main carer for someone who is older or disabled.
You have the right to be consulted when the person you care for is discharged from hospital, which includes support available for the transition out of hospital, either home or into another facility.
What benefits do I have a right to claim?
You have the right to receive benefits like Carer’s Allowance or Universal Credit if you are not working or on a low income.
Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit you can apply for if you’re regularly looking after a family member or friend.
To be eligible for Carer’s Allowance you must be spending at least 35 hours a week looking after someone with a disability, and:
- Earning less than £151 per week
- Live in England, Scotland, or Wales for at least two of the last three years
- Not in full-time education
You can’t apply for a Blue Badge for yourself, but you can apply for one for the person you care for. This can help with parking closer to the place you are visiting with the person you are caring for, and for accessing larger parking bays (making wheelchair access and mobility easier).
A Blue Badge can often give you free parking, but you should always check this is the case beforehand.
Carers Rights day is celebrated every year in November. If you are registered with an Imago service, contact our Hub team to find out about activities you can get involved with. 0300 011 1965 or email carers@imago.community.
