Carers Rights Day 2025
This year's them is ‘Know your rights, use your rights’. To make sure more carers understand their rights and feel empowered to use them.
Becoming a carer happens because your loved one needs support, there is no course to attend, no manual. and you may not know if you are doing the right things for the person, you are caring for.
You also find yourself suddenly having to negotiate a system that no-one really appears to understand, and help might seem limited.
Poll Results:
Supporting Carers to attend their own healthcare appointments.
We ran a poll earlier in 2025, 179 people from across Sussex shared their views, as to what makes it difficult to access healthcare services.
We heard:
- 20.1% (35) responders had delayed, cancelled, or missed a healthcare appointment because of their caring responsibilities.
- 31.6% (55) responders have access to support (formal or informal) to help manage their own health and wellbeing.
- 40.2% (70) responders found it somewhat difficult to coordinate multiple healthcare appointments that happen on different days or in different locations.
Know your rights, use your rights
As a carer knowing where to go and your rights can help you feel more confident to ask for what you need. As well as challenging things when your rights are not being met, whether in the workplace, education, accessing health or social care, or when interacting with other professionals or at home.
The right to unpaid Carer’s Leave
In 2024 the Carer’s Leave Act became law – giving employees juggling work with unpaid care the legal right to up to five days' unpaid leave per annum.
This will help many carers manage some of the day-to-day challenges they face – and help them stay in employment. The Carer's Leave Act
The right to request flexible working
If you are juggling work with your caring responsibilities, you have the right to request flexible working. The introduction of the new Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act means that anyone, including unpaid carers, can ask their employer for changes to their working hours, times of work, or place of work, from day one.
They will also be able to change their flexible working arrangement more than once a year, which will be a huge help too. Flexible Working Act 2023
The right to ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer
If you provide unpaid care, you can ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer on your patient record.
The benefit of this is that you may then fall into a priority group for vaccines or other public health campaigns. Talking to your GP
The right (and choice) to request a free flu jab
As a carer, it’s important to look after your health and wellbeing and one way is to exercise your right to request a free flu jab, if you’d like to.
If you are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be put at risk if you became ill, or if you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, you should be offered a free flu jab. Flu jabs
Protection against discrimination or harassment
If you look after an older or disabled person, the law (Equality Act 2010) protects you against direct discrimination or harassment because of your caring responsibilities.
You may also be protected under other laws, including disability or sex discrimination legislation. Protection from discrimination
Requesting a carer’s assessment
Like many carers, you may find it easier to continue in your caring role if you can get some support and assistance. If it appears that you have needs for support, you can request to have a carer’s assessment done.
If you’re over 18 and provide regular unpaid care for someone, you’re entitled to a carer’s assessment - it doesn’t matter how much or what sort of care you provide. Having a carer's assessment
Being consulted when the person you care for is discharged from hospital
If you are a carer and the person you care for is being discharged from hospital, the hospital must identify and consult with you, where possible. Coming out of hospital
Carers UK contact details:
Helpline: 0808 808 7777 (from Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm including Bank Holidays)
Email: advice@carersuk.org (For more complex query or would like more detailed guidance from an adviser)
Website: www.carersuk.org
