Overview
Monday - Friday 09:00 - 06:00pm including bank holidays
We provide information and guidance to unpaid carers. This covers a range of subjects including:
- benefits and financial support
- your rights as a carer in the workplace
- carers' assessments and how to get support in your caring role
- services available to carers and the people you care for
- how to complain effectively and challenge decisions.
If you feel you need help in these areas, or want to ask a question that might be helpful to you with your caring, please get in touch. We’re not always able to provide the same level of specialist information and support by telephone as we can by email, so if we’re unable to help you in this way over the phone, we will tell you about other ways to get this support including guiding you towards other services and organisations that can offer support.
You can also find out about our online support sessions here: Online meetups | Carers UK (opens in new tab)
If you need somebody to talk to or a listening ear, Samaritans is also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 116 123 or you can email jo@samaritans.org
Contact
Local Offer
Call the Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053 if you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone about what options are available to you. If you are busy at certain times of day, you can send us a message to ask us to call you back for free at a time that is convenient to you.
These services are available for people living in, or caring for someone, in England.
The helpline advisers can give you information to help you make decisions about your personal support needs and the needs of the person you're looking after.
This information includes assessments, benefits, direct payments, individual budgets, time off and maintaining, leaving or going back to work or education.
The helpline staff will tell you how to complain if anything goes wrong with any of the services you use or put you in touch with your local authority or NHS services.