Money Matters for Carers - An Introduction
As a carer you provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, partner or friend. There are services and benefits available to support you, but unfortunately these are not known to most carers.
Surprisingly, despite there being a lot of financial support offered to carers, every year an estimated £740 million in carer's allowances go unclaimed. The benefit system is complicated and finding out what you are entitled to can be difficult. | |
Please choose an option from the navigation bar to the left to see what benefits you, as a carer, are entitled to.
We want to help you locate the right support and make the most of your money.
Caring for Someone While Working
If you are working when you start your caring role, it may be helpful to tell your employer about your situation. There are several things that you and your employer can do to help you combine your caring role with employment.
Flexible working could help, for instance.
- Altering your arrival and leaving times.
- Having access to a phone.
- Getting emergency paid leave; or
- Working longer days to allow you to work a shorter day once a week.
Put this in writing to your employer. Your employer may suggest a different arrangement, but this should be the start of working something out which will suit both of you.
Further information can be found in the Carers' Rights Leaflet and on the Carers UK website. |