Help for carers

When your loved one comes home there may be many new challenges to face. They will be adapting to their new circumstances and may still be processing the experiences they have just been through in hospital. You will also be adapting to your new role and routine as a carer, which can come with its own challenges.

However, with the right support in place, things can be made easier.

Below, we share information on your rights and entitlements to support as a carer, and some key practical issues you might need to think about.

Carer’s assessments

A carer’s assessment looks at your needs as a carer and whether you are entitled to services to make caring easier for you. Services can include:

• Help with housework and looking after the brain injury survivor;

• Equipment and adaptations to the home;

• Emotional support;

• Breaks from caring.

You can contact your local authority to request an assessment.

You can also ask for an assessment if you intend to provide care, so it is a good idea to have the assessment while your loved one is still in hospital, so that you have services in place when they come home.

There are a number of issues you might want to think about raising in the assessment, such as:

• yours and the survivor’s housing situation;

• any additional and relevant health issues (either your own or the survivor’s);

• the impact of your caring role on work;

• the impact of your caring role on your relationships (not just with the survivor);

• your feelings about providing care;

• any other concerns for the future;

• other caring responsibilities e.g. children, parents.

After the assessment, social services will develop a care plan aimed at improving your well-being, which should include the support and services that you have been assessed as needing.

Some services may be means-tested, so after the assessment your local council will look at your income and capital (savings and property) to decide which care services, if any, you will be charged for. There is no blanket policy on charging for services, so this will vary among local authorities. Your initial right to an assessment is not linked to your income or capital.

Carer’s emergency schemes

It is very important to know that your loved one for is looked after should anything happen to you unexpectedly. Many areas run carers emergency schemes which can provide a pre-arranged support network and plan if you are suddenly unable to provide care.

The availability and nature of the schemes vary throughout the UK. You should discuss registering with your local scheme during your carer’s assessment. You can also contact your local social services team to discuss at any time.

If there is no scheme in your area, then you could make a card of your own with details of who to contact in an emergency. It is important to remember not to include information about the person you care for or their address, in case the card falls into the wrong hands.

Benefits and entitlements

There are a number of benefits and other types of financial support that you may be entitled to, depending on yours and the survivor’s personal circumstances.

Below are some of the benefits and schemes currently available.

Carer’s Allowance

You might be entitled to Carer’s Allowance (CA) if you are 16 years old or over and are looking after the survivor for more than 35 hours a week. Entitlement to CA can lead to an increase in some benefits, through the inclusion of the Carer’s Premium. Do note that if someone else looks after the same person, only one of you can get CA.

Carer’s Credit

This is available to people who do not currently receive Carer’s Allowance but do provide care for one or more disabled person(s) for 20 hours or more per week. This will build up your National Insurance contributions towards other benefits and a retirement pension.

Grants

Financial assistance may be available in the form of a grant. Grants that may be available in other areas include budgeting loans, local council grants, the Scottish Welfare Fund, the Discretionary Assistance Fund (for Welsh residents) and Community Care Grants. The organisation Turn2Us.

Transport schemes

The Motability scheme helps people on certain welfare benefits to buy or lease a car at an affordable price. If you care for a disabled person who doesn’t drive, they can still access the scheme with a nominated person (such as yourself) as their driver. The Motability Scheme also makes scooters and powered wheelchairs available. More information is available from Motability.

The Blue Badge parking scheme allows wider access to parking for disabled people. If you are caring for a disabled person who doesn’t drive, they can nominate you as their driver so that you can use their Blue Badge for purposes directly benefiting them.

If you are caring for someone who has a Disabled Person’s Railcard, you can receive the same discount as them when travelling with them. Bus, coach and airline companies might also offer discounts for carers.

There are also schemes available to help with transport to appointments for the person you are caring for. Hospitals and rehabilitation centres provide transport for patients, and this will often extend to carers as well.

If your loved one is entitled to certain benefits, they will be eligible for the Healthcare/Hospital Travel Costs Scheme, and will also be able to reclaim your travel costs if you have to go with them to an appointment. Many local councils have their own schemes, so check with yours for details. For example, discretionary grants may be available for the costs of hospital visits if you are in receipt of certain benefits.

Leisure

The Cinema Exhibitors’ Association Card is a national card for people who receive disability benefits, which entitles the holder to one free ticket for a person accompanying them to a participating cinema.

Many museums, galleries, theatres, etc, offer discounts for disabled people and their carers. Remember to ring ahead to ask about this.

The book Rough Guide to Accessible Britain provides information on holiday destinations for disabled people. It is freely downloadable from Motability's website.

Employment

The following pieces of legislation protect the rights of people (including carers) at work.

The Equality Act (2010) protects you from direct discrimination and harassment at work due to your caring duties. This includes employers refusing to offer you a job or treating you less favourably because of your caring responsibilities. It also covers unfair expectations, offensive language and intimidating behaviour.

The Employment Act (2002) gives carers a legal right to ask your employer for flexible working hours. However, there is no legal obligation for the employer to grant this request, although they must give a valid business reason for refusing. You also have the right to take unpaid time off work to look after someone in an emergency.

If you are concerned that you aren’t being treated fairly at work due to your caring responsibilities, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) helpline can offer free, confidential advice.

The organisations listed on this page are provided for information purposes only. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement, recommendation, or approval by Headway. Users should make their own assessment of any organisation or service before engaging with them.