I care for someone – what support and steps should I check?
16 tasks in suggested order
1. Ask your English local authority for a carer’s assessment if you may need support
If applicable: If you provide or intend to provide unpaid care and may have support needs.
Under the Care Act framework, where it appears an adult carer may have any level of support need, the local authority must carry out a carer’s assessment. The assessment looks at your needs, wellbeing, outcomes, work/education and whether you are able and willing to continue caring.
When your caring role creates or may create support needs; you do not have to wait for a crisis.
Adult social care at the local authority responsible under the Care Act rules.
Information about the caring you provide, how it affects your health/work/education/day-to-day life and what outcomes/support would help.
The assessment is about your needs as a carer and can be separate from the cared-for person’s care-needs assessment.
Official source: GOV.UK
2. Ask your Welsh local authority for a carer’s needs assessment
If applicable: If you are an unpaid carer in Wales and may need support.
Under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act framework, an unpaid carer has a right to a carer’s needs assessment when it appears they may need support. It is separate from the assessment of the person you care for.
When you may have support needs now or in the future because of caring.
Your Welsh local authority social services.
Your caring role, impact on wellbeing/work/education, whether you are willing and able to continue caring, and the outcomes/support you need.
The authority assesses the carer’s needs and then applies the Welsh eligibility/support framework; an assessment does not by itself guarantee a particular service.
Official source: GOV.WALES
3. Ask for an Adult Carer Support Plan or Young Carer Statement in Scotland
Carers in Scotland have a right to a plan/statement from the local council that records the caring role, needs, whether they are willing/able to continue caring, outcomes and support.
When you are an unpaid carer and want your own needs/support recorded; update it if circumstances change.
Your Scottish local council social-care department or carer centre.
Your caring role, physical/mental/emotional needs, work/education situation and what support or outcomes would help.
Adults use an Adult Carer Support Plan; young carers use a Young Carer Statement.
Official source: mygov.scot
4. Ask your Health and Social Care Trust for a carer’s assessment in Northern Ireland
If applicable: If you are an unpaid carer in Northern Ireland and need support.
If you need help in your caring role, ask the relevant Health and Social Care Trust for a carer’s assessment. It considers your needs as well as the needs of the person you care for.
When caring affects your wellbeing, work or ability to continue caring, or when you need support.
The Health and Social Care Trust responsible for the person/caring situation.
Information about the care you provide, its impact on you and the support you think may help.
The assessment can consider help you may need to work as well as support in the caring role.
Official source: nidirect
5. Use the assessment outcome to agree support, breaks or contingency arrangements where needed
If your assessment identifies eligible needs, the local authority decides what support it must meet and how. Separately, it can be useful to record emergency/contingency arrangements for the person you care for.
After the assessment, and again if the caring situation changes materially.
Your local authority/social-care service.
Assessment outcome, support needs, existing help and any practical emergency contacts/arrangements.
Lili tip: keeping a practical emergency plan is useful but is not itself a general statutory duty on every carer. The official part is the assessment/eligibility/support process.
Official source: GOV.UK
6. Review the Welsh support outcome and care/support plan if eligible needs are identified
If applicable: If the assessment identifies needs that the local authority must meet.
After assessment, the local authority applies the Welsh eligibility rules and, where it must meet needs, plans the care/support and any agreed services or direct payments.
After assessment and when needs or circumstances change.
Your Welsh local authority social services.
Assessment outcome, agreed wellbeing outcomes, existing support and any information requested for the care/support plan.
Support is based on assessed/eligible needs and the statutory Welsh process, not a fixed package for every carer.
Official source: GOV.WALES
7. Review the Scottish carer support plan and ask for it to be updated when circumstances change
The plan records the services/support the council will provide, eligibility for financial support and emergency planning. Ask the council or carer centre to update it when caring needs or circumstances change.
After the plan is prepared and whenever the caring role, work/education or needs change.
Your local council or carer centre in Scotland.
Existing plan/statement and details of what has changed.
Keep the written copy so you can see what support was agreed and when it should be reviewed.
Official source: mygov.scot
8. Review the support offered after the NI carer’s assessment and ask about direct payments if relevant
If applicable: If the assessment identifies support needs or you want to ask how agreed support can be delivered.
After assessment, the Trust can decide what social-services support is appropriate. Where the conditions are met, direct payments can be used instead of services provided directly.
After the carer’s assessment and when caring needs change.
Your Health and Social Care Trust.
Assessment outcome and details of the support you need or currently receive.
The assessment does not guarantee a particular service or direct payment; the Trust applies the Northern Ireland eligibility and social-services rules.
Official source: nidirect
9. Check and claim Carer’s Allowance in England if you meet the rules
If applicable: If you live in England and appear to meet the Carer’s Allowance eligibility rules.
Carer’s Allowance can be claimed if the qualifying conditions are met, including providing at least 35 hours of care a week to someone on a qualifying benefit. For 2026/27, earnings must normally be £204 or less a week after the allowed tax, National Insurance and expenses.
When your caring hours, the cared-for person’s qualifying benefit and your earnings/other eligibility conditions are met.
Carer’s Allowance service on GOV.UK.
National Insurance number, bank details, employment/earnings and expense information, plus details of the person you care for and their qualifying benefit.
The £204 earnings limit is the current 2026/27 limit and normally changes in April. Check the live official page before relying on an older amount.
Official source: GOV.UK
10. Check and claim Carer’s Allowance in Wales if you meet the rules
If applicable: If you live in Wales and appear to meet the Carer’s Allowance eligibility rules.
For Carer’s Allowance, the main current conditions include at least 35 hours of care a week, a qualifying benefit for the person you care for and earnings within the current limit. For 2026/27 the earnings limit is normally £204 a week after allowed deductions.
When the eligibility conditions are met.
Carer’s Allowance service on GOV.UK (Welsh-language guidance is also available).
National Insurance number, bank details, earnings/expense information and details of the person you care for and their qualifying benefit.
Check the live limit each benefit year; do not reuse the £204 figure after the official April uprating without verification.
Official source: GOV.UK
11. Check and claim Carer Support Payment in Scotland if you meet the rules
If applicable: If you usually live in Scotland and may qualify for Carer Support Payment.
Scotland uses Carer Support Payment instead of a new Carer’s Allowance claim. Current core conditions include unpaid care for at least 35 hours a week, a qualifying benefit for the cared-for person and the earnings rule. The 2026/27 take-home-pay limit is £204 a week.
When you meet the Scottish carer-benefit conditions.
Social Security Scotland through mygov.scot.
Identity/residence details, caring hours, details of the person you care for and their qualifying benefit, plus work/earnings and expenses if relevant.
Scottish study rules differ from Carer’s Allowance rules in England/Wales/NI, so use the current Carer Support Payment eligibility pages rather than copying those rules.
Official source: mygov.scot
12. Check and claim Carer’s Allowance in Northern Ireland if you meet the rules
If applicable: If you live in Northern Ireland and may qualify for Carer’s Allowance.
Northern Ireland Carer’s Allowance requires, among other conditions, at least 35 hours of care a week, a qualifying benefit for the person cared for and earnings within the current limit. For 2026/27 the limit is £204 a week after allowed deductions.
When the NI eligibility conditions are met.
Department for Communities/Disability and Carers Service through nidirect.
National Insurance number, details of the person you care for and their benefit, plus earnings/expense and bank details requested.
Northern Ireland has its own claim/change-reporting administration even though the headline Carer’s Allowance rules are closely aligned with England/Wales.
Official source: nidirect
13. Before claiming Carer’s Allowance, check how it can affect other benefits
If applicable: If you are considering or receiving Carer’s Allowance in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Carer’s Allowance can change benefits paid to you and to the person you care for. For example, severe-disability additions can stop, and Universal Credit is reduced by the Carer’s Allowance amount while a carer element may apply separately.
Before claiming and whenever your own benefits or the cared-for person’s benefits change.
GOV.UK/nidirect benefit guidance and the office that pays each affected benefit.
List of benefits received by you, your partner and the person you care for.
Do not assume a Carer’s Allowance claim always increases total household income. Scotland uses Carer Support Payment and has a separate effects page.
Official source: GOV.UK
14. Use statutory unpaid Carer’s Leave in Great Britain when it applies
If applicable: If you are an employee in England, Scotland or Wales and need leave to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need.
Employees in Great Britain have a day-one right to unpaid Carer’s Leave for a dependant with a long-term care need. The entitlement is up to one working week in each 12-month period and can be taken as a week, days or half-days.
Give advance notice: at least 3 days for half a day or one day; for more than one day, at least twice the length of the requested leave.
Your employer, using the statutory Carer’s Leave rules.
Dates/amount of leave requested and enough information to make the request. The employer cannot require evidence of the dependant’s care need for statutory Carer’s Leave.
This Great Britain right is unpaid and is different from emergency time off for dependants, annual leave and flexible working. Northern Ireland does not use this GOV.UK Carer’s Leave right.
Official source: GOV.UK
15. Use NI emergency time off for dependants when it applies; consider flexible working for planned caring needs
If applicable: If you work in Northern Ireland and caring responsibilities affect work.
Northern Ireland employees have a right to reasonable unpaid time off for certain emergencies involving a dependant, with no qualifying service period. For planned or ongoing caring, flexible working is a separate right-to-request process with its own NI eligibility/procedure.
Tell your employer as soon as possible when an emergency requires dependant leave; use the flexible-working process for planned longer-term arrangements.
Your employer using nidirect Northern Ireland employment guidance.
Reason for the emergency/absence or, for flexible working, the work pattern change you are requesting.
NI emergency dependant leave is for unexpected situations and reasonable time to deal with the immediate problem; it is not a general paid carer-leave entitlement.
Official source: nidirect
16. Before claiming Carer Support Payment, check how it can affect other benefits
If applicable: If you live in Scotland and are considering or receiving Carer Support Payment.
Carer Support Payment can affect your other benefits and benefits received by the person you care for. Some overlapping benefits reduce the payment; income-related benefits such as Universal Credit can also be reduced.
Before applying and whenever your benefits or caring circumstances change.
Social Security Scotland/mygov.scot plus the organisation that pays any other affected benefit.
Details of your benefits and the benefits of the person you care for.
A person can sometimes have an underlying entitlement even where Carer Support Payment itself is £0. Check the live interaction rules before assuming the household will receive more overall.
Official source: mygov.scot
