Carers Rights Day is a National awareness day that helps us to ensure Carers are aware of their rights, to inform carers of where they can get help and support, and to raise awareness of the needs of carers. The theme for Carers Rights Day 2020, as set by Carers UK, is Know Your Rights
A recent Carers UK survey found:
- Four in five unpaid carers are providing more care for relatives
- 78% reported that the needs of the person they care for have increased during the pandemic
- Two thirds (67%) worried about how they will cope through further lockdowns or local restrictions.
Research published in the summer by Carers UK suggests that 4.5 million people had become unpaid carers in the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of these caring roles may have been on a temporary basis, it can be seen from the survey findings that many carers have found their new caring responsibilities have not waned over the course of the pandemic, and others still whose caring role has changed or increased, whether they are only recently providing care and support or have been caring for some time.
It is important for carers to know and understand their rights and entitlements and to be able to access the support available as soon as they need it, particularly during such difficult and unpredictable times, and regardless of where they are in their caring journey. Carers UK estimates that 6,000 people take on some form of caring responsibility every day and that 3 in 5 people will provide a caring role at some point in their lives. In addition to ensuring carers know their rights, increasing awareness of carers rights among the general public would help to increase recognition and support for those people already providing a caring role, and could help those newly-made carers to transition to their changing circumstances and begin receiving support much sooner.
This Carers Rights Day, we hope to empower carers through the provision of information and support, so they can feel confident to ask for what they need and know how to challenge things when they feel their rights are not being met.
You can find further information about Carers Rights and Entitlements on our website. If you would like to speak with a Carers Support Worker, call our Carers Support Line on 020 8867 2380 or email info@richmondcarers.org. Alternatively you can download or order a copy of Looking after someone, a guide by Carers UK.
