Are you a carer? Know your rights
Published 5 Nov 2018
If you care for someone, you can have an assessment to see what might help make your life easier. This is called a carer's assessment.
It might recommend things like:
someone to take over caring so you can take a break
gym membership and exercise classes to relieve stress
help with taxi fares if you don't drive
help with gardening and housework
training how to lift safely
putting you in touch with local support groups so you have people to talk to
advice about benefits for carers
A carer's assessment is free and anyone over 18 can ask for one.
It's separate from the needs assessment the person you care for might have, but you can ask to have them both done at the same time.
How to get a carer's assessment
Contact adult social services at your local council and ask for a carer's assessment.
If you're a parent carer or a child, contact the children with disabilities department.
You can call or do it online.
How to tell if you're a carer
You're a carer if you're looking after someone regularly because they're ill, elderly or disabled – including family members.
Carers help with:
washing, dressing or taking medicines
getting out and about and travelling to doctors' appointments
shopping, cleaning and laundry
paying bills and organising finances
They can also give emotional support by:
sitting with someone to keep them company
watching over someone if they can't be left alone
All of these count as being a carer.
What happens in the carer's assessment
Someone from the council, or an organisation the council works with, will ask how you're coping with caring.
This includes how it affects your physical and mental health, work, free time and relationships.
The assessment is usually face to face. Some councils can do it over the phone or online.
Assessments usually last at least an hour.
How to prepare for your carer's assessment
You'll need:
your NHS number (if you have one)
your GP's name, address and phone number
contact details of anyone who's coming to the assessment with you
the name, address, date of birth and NHS number of the person you care for (if you have it)
your email address
Give as much detail as you can about the impact caring for someone is having on your life. This willl help make sure you get all the help and support you need.
Which? Elderly Care has a checklist of questions to help you prepare for a carer's assessment, regardless of your age.
Have someone with you
It can help if you have someone with you during the assessment. This could be the person you care for, a friend or relative.
You could also use an advocate. Advocates are people who speak up on your behalf.
They can help you fill in forms and sit with you in meetings and assessments. They're often free.
Find an advocate in your area
If you want to talk to someone about carer's assessments, call:
your local council's adult social services department
Carers Direct's free helpline on 0300 123 1053
Age UK's free helpline on 0800 055 6112
Independent Age's free helpline on 0800 319 6789
Contact a Family's free helpline on 0808 808 3555
Getting the results
You'll usually get the results of the assessment within a week.
If you qualify for help from the council, they'll write a care and support plan with you that sets out how they can help.
Help with costs
Your council might be able to help with the costs. You might need a financial assessment (means test) first. This will be arranged for you after the carer’s assessment.
You might also qualify for benefits for carers that can help with costs.
If you don't qualify for help from your council
If you're told you don't qualify for help and support, your council should give you free advice about where you can get help in your community. Ask if this doesn't happen.
How to complain about a carer's assessment
If you disagree with the results of your carer's assessment or how it was done, you can complain.
First complain to your local council. Your council should have a formal complaints procedure on its website. You should also be told about how to complain at your assessment.
If you're not happy with the way the council handles your complaint, you can take it to the local government and social care ombudsman. An ombudsman is an independent person who's been appointed to look into complaints about organisations.
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Twitter12 comments
@Speech Hello Sharon,
I am sorry to hear about the amount of pressure you're under. I checked the NHS website and they give these numbers to contact to know your rights as a carer, perhaps they will be able to answer your questions about reduced taxi fares:
Carers UK helpline on 0808 808 777
Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053
Age UK on freephone 0800 169 6565
I hope this helps and I wish you and your family the best in 2019.
I am a carer for my partner who has treatment resistance schizophrenia, The mental health team told me that I can have an assessment when he gets ill again (they said this in front of him which I didn’t think was very helpful!!) he is really well is in work and is doing great on clozapine, Should i push for an assessment?
@emma36 Well sinc eit is free, why not try? You have nothig to lose except perhaps a little bit of time.
Although u am disabled by MS diagnosed 1978. My daughter who through an accident (fell full face in hard ground with feeling not well) resulted in traumatic Brain injury- yet appearance with talking, is like a normal person of 38 years. She had lived & worked in Spain for 2 years, but never became a Spanish citizen keeping her UK Citizen by returning every 12 weeks. Because of hidden brain trauma, she loses her balance quite badly & suddenly has to sleep for several hours sometimes 2 - 3 times in a day! Clare helps me with cooking, shopping, phoning doctors even in night,(I'm deaf from birth pitch not suitable to hear by phone) she helps with anything when awake. We are therefore both caters to each other! Because she 'lived' in Spain 2 years, she could only get contribution based ESA workung in UK 20 years with two jobs. She only gets £73 per fortnight nothing else. I've lost my Pension credit of £82.00 because my daughter came to live back home & she is counted as an immigrant so can't get any other benefit, which I think is not correct. I've tried CAB said she can try for Carers Allowance, but she tried on Line, with result she doesn't qualify for another two years because of her 'immigrant status! We are Welsh white, born & brought up here yet she's counted as an immigrant! Do u try at a solicitors? But, what about me who carers & worries, together with stress, when she has her brain injury severe pain every day. Anyone can help us?
We have just had a carers assessment but the one thing we needed help with they don't cover. I care for my best friend who is in renal failure and who does home haemo dialysis 3 times a week. I learnt how to needle and perform the dialysis thus saving the NHS thousands in nursing costs. I am 64 with osteoarthritis, COPD and asthma so I too am on medication for these. As we live in a 3 storey town house the one thing I find the hardest is housework but our local council don't help with the costs of this. We have been lucky in that a friend has stepped in to help. Also, I do get carer's allowance but this will end when I get my state pension next year, at age 66.
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