Know your rights, use your rights – that’s the theme for this year’s Carers Rights Day.
Every day, 12,000 people in the UK 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.
A lot of unpaid caring is not about personal care. You might:
- Help settle someone who would wander without a nightly phone call
- Collect medications for someone who can’t
- Take someone to necessary appointments they’d otherwise miss
- Read a friend or family member’s mail because they can’t, or manage their finances
People doing these, and a host of other roles, are unpaid carers.
In North East Lincolnshire, unpaid carers are defined as someone who provides support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems. All the care given is unpaid, and may be personal, practical, emotional or supervisory.
Your rights
Unpaid adult carers have the right to an assessment of their needs. The person you are providing care to does not have to be involved in the assessment, does not have to agree with you doing this, or need to be getting support themselves. Call (01472) 256256 about organising an assessment and ask for a Carers Needs Assessment to be completed.
You may be entitled to benefits if you are not working or on a low income, such as Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit. To book an appointment to check your benefits, contact NEL Carers Support Service (01472) 242277.
You are entitled, but not limited to:
- A free flu jab
- GP practice to identify you as a carer and be placed on their Carers Register
- The right to refuse to continue caring or to refuse to take on additional caring roles
- The right to be fully involved in discharge planning from hospital, with consent of the cared- for person.
Rights in the workplace
As an unpaid carer, you have all the usual employment rights of any employee, plus more. You have statutory rights if you are balancing work and caring for someone, including:
- The right for time off to deal with emergencies involving dependants
- The right to take parental leave
- The right to request flexible working from the first day of employment
- The right to Carer’s Leave – this is a week of unpaid leave per year
- Protection from discrimination
For more information on any of the above information, visit Carers UK.
If you need any advice, signposting or support as an unpaid carer, please contact:
NEL’s Carers Support Service
1 Town Hall Square, Grimsby DN31 1HY
(01472) 242277
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