Carer's Allowance
If you care for someone you could be entitled to Carer's Allowance. Find out more.
Being a carer can be really tough, and some extra support could make the world of difference. The first step to getting help is arranging a carer's assessment with your local council, which looks at what support you need and how your council could help.
Whatever the circumstances, if you look after someone who needs support because they’re ill or disabled, then you’re a carer.
The word ‘carer’ means different things to different people – and there are many circumstances in which you might provide care for someone. For instance, you might:
You might be providing care by yourself – or you might be getting help from family, friends or professional care workers.
It’s important to acknowledge that you’re a carer because it means you could get extra support – such as financial benefits or flexible working arrangements.
Get in touch with your local council's social services department to request a carer’s assessment.
Find your local council on GOV.UK
Yes – you can bring someone with you to the carer's assessment if you want to.
To be entitled to access support services only you have to be assessed, and you can get a carer's assessment regardless of whether the person you care for is having their needs assessed.
However, it may be a good idea for the person you look after to have their needs assessed, as long as they’re willing. The council may have a duty to meet any care and support needs of theirs that you’re not meeting. This is also a good idea because it helps you both to plan for the future. If there comes a time when you're no longer able or willing to care for the person concerned, but the council has already assessed and recognised their needs, it should meet these needs without requiring further assessment.
Before your assessment, it's worth looking at the following questions and thinking about whether being a carer is having a significant impact on these aspects of your life.
It's also a good idea to consider whether there are any other issues that may affect your ability to continue caring.
During the assessment, you’ll have a chance to talk about the care you provide and the impact it has on your life. The assessor will look at the support you get and whether other services could help you. They should also provide or refer you to information about other sources of support, such as benefits.
Following the assessment, if your local council agree that you're eligible for help, they'll work with you to draw up a support plan. This outlines what services or help you need to support you in your caring role.
The kind of help and support you could get includes:
As part of your support plan, the council will set a 'personal budget'. This is the overall cost of the support services required to meet the needs identified in your assessment. Depending on the outcome of a financial assessment, you might need to contribute to the overall cost.
You may be able to receive a 'direct payment', based on your personal budget. This is where the council give you money to arrange your own support services.
The direct payment may be available to use to help maintain your interests outside of your caring responsibilities and could be a one-off payment, for example to fund an annual membership to a club, or an ongoing payment, for example to spend on a weekly exercise class.
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 120 local Age UKs.
If you care for someone you could be entitled to Carer's Allowance. Find out more.
If you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who’s ill or has a disability and receives certain benefits,...
If you spend time looking after someone, you could be entitled to financial support.
Whether you've just started looking after a loved one or have been supporting someone for a while, this checklist...
Find out more about how you can take a break from caring if you need one.
How to look after yourself if you're a carer.