Carers' updates

Carers Direct is the official website designed to help you get the help and support you need as a carer. We offer all the information you should need to get the financial help you’re entitled to, as well as advice on getting a break from caring, going to work and much more.

To get you started, why not try our interactive carer self-assessment quiz? This quiz will take you through just six questions and give you some practical tips on how to get started.

If you don’t fancy that, you can start reading whichever section of the site you think will help you. These sections are:

• Practical guide to caring. This includes all the information you need about how to manage your day-to-day caring. It has pages on your rights, care homes, funding for care, getting about on transport, housing issues, as well as information on washing, dressing and moving the person you care for.
• Money and legal. This section tells you all you need to know about your finances and the legal issues around looking after someone. It includes pages on all the benefits you might be entitled to, as well as tips on how to get money off bills and other discounts. It also offers a guide on how to deal with the legal affairs of the person you are looking after.
• Your wellbeing. This will give you handy tips on keeping yourself fit, healthy and happy. It includes advice on how to get a break from the responsibility of looking after someone.
• Work and study. This section outlines how you can combine a paid job alongside your unpaid caring role, with advice on benefits and your rights in the workplace, as well as help with getting back to work. It also includes information on how to go ahead with your education if you decide you need to brush up your skills.
• Young carers. This section is designed especially for you if you are child, teenager or young adult who looks after someone. It gives you advice on your rights, and practical information on schemes that could be useful for you.
• Carers’ lives. This has the latest news that could affect you as a carer, along with real-life stories of other carers from around the country and easy to follow caring tips.

And if you prefer chatting to watching, you can talk to other carers on the Carers Community discussion forum, or discuss what it’s like being a carer with one of our team of carer bloggers.

But if you only have a few minutes to spare, watch one of our many carers' videos which are packed with moving real-life stories and practical advice on caring.

We hope you can find everything you need on this website. If you still have questions you can email us using our webform, call our advisers on 0808 802 0202, or ask for us to call you back when it's convenient.