What Support Is Available for Unpaid Carers in the UK — and How Do You Access It?

More than five million people in the UK provide unpaid care for a family member or friend. Many do it quietly, without asking for help — and without knowing that they are legally entitled to support in their own right. This guide explains what is available, who qualifies, and how to access it.

Are you legally recognised as a carer?

If you regularly look after someone who could not manage without your help — whether that is a parent with dementia, a spouse with a long-term illness, or a disabled adult child — you are an unpaid carer in the eyes of the law. You do not need to live with the person, and you do not need to be caring full time.

Being recognised as a carer matters because it unlocks a range of rights and services that many people never claim.

What is a Carer’s Assessment — and why should you ask for one?

Your local council has a legal duty under the Care Act 2014 to offer you a Carer’s Assessment if caring affects your wellbeing. This is a free conversation about how caring affects your life — your health, your work, your relationships, and your own needs.

Following the assessment, the council may provide practical support such as:

• Replacement care (so you can take a break)
• Help with transport or household tasks
• Training on how to care more safely
• Emotional support or counselling referrals
• A Direct Payment — money paid directly to you to arrange your own support

To request an assessment, contact your local council’s adult social services team. You can find the right number via the NHS website or by searching “[your council] Carer’s Assessment”.

Could you be entitled to Carer’s Allowance?

Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit for unpaid carers. From April 2026, it pays £86.45 per week. To qualify, you must:

• Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• Care for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit (such as PIP, Attendance Allowance, or DLA)
• Earn no more than £204 per week after deductions
• Not be in full-time education

Note that if you receive the full new State Pension (currently £241.30 a week), you cannot receive Carer’s Allowance at the same time — but you may still be able to claim Carer’s Credit or have an underlying entitlement that affects other benefits. It is always worth checking via GOV.UK or a benefits adviser.

What is Carer’s Credit — and who is it for?

If you do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance — perhaps because your State Pension is too high — you may still be eligible for Carer’s Credit. This is a National Insurance credit that protects your State Pension entitlement while you are caring. It is worth applying for even if it feels like a small benefit, as gaps in your NI record can reduce your State Pension.

What respite care is available — and how do you get a break?

Respite care gives carers a break — whether for an afternoon, a few days, or longer. Options include:

• Home-based respite — a care worker comes to your home while you take time out
• Day centres — the person you care for attends a local centre for activities and social time
• Short-term residential care — a temporary stay in a care home while you take a holiday
• Sitting services — a volunteer or paid carer sits with the person while you go out

Carers UK and Age UK both run helplines and local services that can help you arrange respite care. Your GP or the person you care for’s GP can also make referrals.

What happens if you have an emergency and cannot care?

If you are unexpectedly taken ill or hospitalised, who will look after the person you care for? Many carers have never made a plan for this — and it can cause a crisis.

Ask your local council about a Carer’s Emergency Card scheme. You carry a card with a reference number; if you are taken to hospital, the emergency services can call the number and activate a backup care plan. Many councils offer this free of charge.

Where can you get emotional support as a carer?

Caring can be isolating, exhausting, and emotionally draining — particularly if the person you care for has dementia or a condition that has changed their personality. You are allowed to find it hard.

• Carers UK — helpline, online forum, and local carer groups: carersuk.org
• Age UK — advice for older carers: ageuk.org.uk
• Dementia UK — specialist support for those caring for someone with dementia: dementiauk.org
• NHS Talking Therapies — free psychological support, self-referral available in England

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Getting support for yourself is not a luxury — it is what makes long-term caring possible.