Today is Carers Rights Day.

Carers Rights Day is a national awareness campaign designed to ensure carers get the advice and information that they need so they can access the help and support they are entitled to.

Millions of people across the UK are providing unpaid care for an older, disabled or seriously ill family member or friend. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic without the right support, caring can come at a significant personal cost. During the pandemic the majority of carers have taken on more care, without access to their usual support from local services and family and friends.

Having the right information at the right time can make a huge difference when you are looking after someone. Yet many struggle to navigate the maze of services and entitlements, and miss out on financial and practical support as a result.

Having the right information and support also enables carers to remain in work. Before the COVID-19 pandemic 600 people a day gave up work to care. Since the start of the pandemic 11% of carers have had to reduce their hours, and 9% have had no choice but to give up work to care.

Carers UK has shared resources and information to help carers be informed about their rights:

Looking After Someone Guide

‘Looking After Someone’ is our annual guide to our carers’ rights and the practical and financial support available. You can read the guide here: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/get-resources/looking-after-someone

 Self-Advocacy Guide

Carers UK has produced a new Self-Advocacy Guide for carers. This helps carers navigate a confusing system, and to give carers the practical guidance they need to get their voices heard in often complicated and challenging circumstances. You can read the guide here.

Flexible Working Guide

As part of our  partnership with Barclays LifeSkills, we are launching a new guide to help carers understand the different forms or flexible working, as well as to offer practical tips on how to ask your employer to change your working arrangements. You can read the guide here.

Flexible Working Films

We are launching a series of short films to encourage carers to understand the different types of flexible working, how to think about what types of working arrangements that might help them to manage work and care, and to share stories of the experiences of working carers. You can watch the films here.