Knowing your rights as a Carer
This Carers Rights Day, 20 November 2025, the national theme “Your Rights, Your Voice” is all about making sure every unpaid Carer knows the support they’re entitled to — and to feel confident speaking up for their own needs as well as those they care for.
Whether you’ve been caring for someone for years or have only recently begun supporting a loved one, understanding your rights can make a huge difference to your wellbeing.
Recognising When You’re a Carer
One of the biggest steps is simply recognising yourself as a Carer.
At the Association of Carers, we describe a Carer as:
“Someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help.”
You may not think of yourself as a Carer — many people feel they are “just helping” a spouse, parent, neighbour, child or friend. But if the support you provide goes beyond the usual expectations of your relationship, you may be carrying out a caring role.
You may want to reflect on how much time you spend caring, and whether this is outside of your paid work. It can also be useful to consider the type of support you give, such as daily household, practical and administrative tasks, especially if the other person could not carry these out by themselves.
You may never have used the term Carer before for what you do, but recognising this can access support, services and recognition for the role you are taking on.
Understanding Your Rights as a Carer
Once you recognise your caring role, it’s important to know the rights available to you. These include:
Your Right to a Carer’s Assessment
Every unpaid carer is entitled to a Carer’s Assessment from their local authority — and you are allowed one every year.
This assessment looks at how caring affects your life and what support, services or breaks you might need.
Your Right to Be Involved in Decisions
Carers have a legal right to be consulted during key moments — such as when the person you care for is discharged from hospital.
One Carer told us after speaking to our team:
“Thank you so much for the call… it helped so much. I was feeling really alone trying to deal with my husband being in hospital and trying to get answers and a plan for him moving forward.”
Your Right to Support and Wellbeing
Caring can be emotional and physically demanding. You have the right to:
- be identified as a Carer by your GP
- request flu and COVID jabs
How Association of Carers Supports Carers in East Sussex
While Carers Rights Day shines a national spotlight on these issues, we work all year round to help carers across East Sussex understand and access their rights.
We check your rights from the first meeting. During our initial meeting with Carers, we always check whether Carers have had a Carer’s Assessment and explain that they’re entitled to one each year. We also ensure that a Carer’s GP has them registered as a Carer, giving them access to free flu and COVID jabs.
Looking after your wellbeing can also mean taking a break. Our volunteer-led befriending visits give Carers invaluable time to rest, shop, attend health appointments or revisit hobbies.
One Carer shared: “It was my first experience of any kind of time off from my caring role and remains a key part of our support.“
The Voice of Carers
We listen to Carers’ voices to design and develop our services so that they are based on what Carers tell us they want. This is centred around wellbeing, connection and support that is delivered through:
- regular breaks from caring
- Carers Cafés and meet-ups
- online and telephone support
- computer help at home
Carers tell us these services help them feel understood, recognised, and confident:
“Very helpful, and enabled me to face what I had to face with lots of confidence.”
Where to Find More Information
You can learn more about your rights on the Carers UK website:
🔗 Carers Rights Day – Carers UK
And you can always talk to us directly. If you help someone who couldn’t manage without you, you may be a Carer — and we’re here to help.
📞 01424 722309
🌐 Make a Referral
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