Essex County Council say unpaid carers are "critical for society" and urge them to be aware of their rights
There are many that are unaware of their rights and protections
This Carer's Rights Day, Essex County Council are encouraging unpaid carers to look at whether they are legally entitled to certain rights and protections.
These could be: Flexible working arrangements; One week of unpaid leave per year (since 2024); Financial support (i.e. council tax reductions, carers credit, carers allowance); Carer’s assessment from the local authority; and Protection against discrimination.
The council will also be launching a new hospital discharge booklet, supporting carers with the significant challenges they can face when looking after someone who is leaving hospital.
Councillor John Spence, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care at Essex County Council, said:
"124,000 people said that they had caring responsibilities, but of course this covers a great myriad of things.
"We tend to think of unpaid carers in as one sense, but I look at the huge difference.
"Between parents who are bringing up a healthy child and those who are bringing up a child with severe disabilities, I look at the older couple getting on in age where both the carer and the cared for are increasingly frail. I look for the youngster, the adolescent, who's helping either look after parents with a problem or whose siblings have a problem.
"So when we always think about this one thing called unpaid carers, it's the variety of needs and types and what matters therefore is that they know their rights, their rights aren't universal either. There are rights for people who are doing a certain amount of care or more, and they should refer to government because there's all things to do with earnings.
"What we're concerned with as a County Council is that every carer knows how to access their rights, knows how to get the information they need, feels supported and engaged and that we can help them."
He said that Carer's Rights Day has a purpose to "fully recognise the contribution" of unpaid carers.
"The whole system could not survive and operate without the contributions of unpaid carers. It simply would be unsustainable."
"It is critical for the unpaid carer that they get the support they need, and to which they have the right.
"It is critical for society that we give them the best life they can have."
More information is accessible through the council's website.