Skip to content

Carer Rights and Entitlements 2025

Carers Right and Entitlements Feedback

Your feedback will be anonymous unless you choose to leave your contact details at the end of the survey
WIRED & Wirral Carers Alliance are researching the level to which Carers in Wirral know their rights, use their rights and what impact using their rights has had. Please take 10 minutes to complete this survey
1.Carers Assessment - Do you know that as someone with caring responsibilities you are entitled to a carers assessment undertaken by adult social care to identify your needs and determine what support can help you in your role as an unpaid carer?(Required.)
2.Carers Assessment - Have you had a carers assessment?(Required.)
3.Carers Assessment - If you have had carers assessment, did the outcome of the assessment result in better support for you in your caring role?(Required.)
4.Hospital Discharge - The right to be consulted - Do you know that as a carer, you have the right to be involved in hospital discharge planning for the person you care for under the Health and Care Act 2022, and NHS trusts must involve you as early as possible, assuming the patient consents? (You have the right to information about the care plan, the right to request a carer's needs assessment, and the right to ask for support, such as flexible working arrangements for working carers)(Required.)
5.Hospital Discharge - The Right to be Consulted- Have you used the Right to be Consulted in relation to the discharge from hospital of the person that you care for?(Required.)
6.Hospital Discharge - Right to be Consulted - If you have used the Right to be Consulted, did it make any difference to you in your caring role?(Required.)
7.Carers Financial Support - For each option below, please tick which option best describes your current circumstances.(Required.)
I know about this and do receive it
I know about this but have not applied for it and therefore do not receive it
I know about this and have applied but I was not eligible and therefore do not receive it
I don't know about this and as a result do not receive it
Prefer not to say
Carer's Allowance - The main benefit, paying £83.30 a week (2025/26 rates) if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and earn £196 or less a week after deductions. The person you care for must receive a qualifying disability benefit, such as PIP (daily living component), Attendance Allowance, or DLA (middle/highest care rate
Carer Element of Universal Credit - If you or your partner are on a low income or out of work, you may be eligible for Universal Credit. You can receive an extra amount (around £201.68 a month for 2025/26) called the "carer element" if you care for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week
Carer's Credit - This is not a direct payment but a National Insurance (NI) credit that helps fill gaps in your NI record to ensure you qualify for the State Pension and other benefits, even if you are not paying contributions due to your caring role. You can claim it if you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week and are under State Pension age
Carer Premium/Addition - If you receive Carer's Allowance (or have an underlying entitlement to it), you may get an extra amount (premium or addition) added to other means-tested benefits you receive, such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Pension Credit
Council Tax Reduction - You may be eligible for a discount or exemption on your Council Tax bill depending on your living arrangements and the disability of the person you care for
Pension Credit - If you're over State Pension age and on a low income, you might be able to top up your income with Pension Credit, which can be increased with a "carer addition" if you are a carer
Wirral Carers Grant - a one off annual cash grant from Wirral Council to support the carer in their caring role, normally between £100-£300
Carers Direct Payment - A sum of money separate from a standard carers grant from a local authority to a carer to meet their support needs instead of receiving services arranged by the council. This gives the carer more flexibility and control to arrange their own support, which can be a one-off payment for a short-term need, like a respite break, or regular payments to help with ongoing needs. Eligibility for these payments is usually determined after a carer's assessment. Carers direct payments are distinct from other carer related entitlements and benefits.
8.GP Surgeries - 2019 Statutory guidance for supporting carers in General Practice - For each element, please select the option that best describes your current circumstances(Required.)
Yes
No
I'm not sure
Carers register - Does your GP Practice keep a register of all patients who are unpaid carers?
Are you identified as a carer - Are you identified as a carer on your GP Practice's carers register?
Carers Flu Jab - Does your GP Practice promotes the free flu jab for unpaid carers?
Separate appointments - Based on your experience, does your GP Practice encourage you to book a separate GP appointment on your own to discuss your health needs?
Signposting to carer support - Has your GP Practice referred you to Carer Support Organisations - e.g. WIRED?
Flexible appointments - Based on your experience, does your GP Practice offer carers flexible appointments for carers themselves and the person they care for?
Carers needs taken into account or not - Based on your experience, do you feel that the staff at your GP Practice take carers’ needs into account when booking appointments?
Home visits - Based on your knowledge, do clinicians at your GP Practice visit carers who are unwell, if they are unable to leave the person they care for at home?
Double appointments - Based on your experience, are carers able to book a double appointment at your GP Practice so they may be seen when they accompany the cared for to an appointment?
Online repeat prescriptions - Are carers at your GP Practice able to order repeat prescriptions online?
Listening to carers - Based on your experience, does your GP Practice practice actively involve and consider the views of carers in planning care, treatment and support for the cared-for?
Employment related rights and entitlements - If you are juggling work and caring responsibilities or alternatively not currently working due to retirement/ill health or your caring role, we would like to know if you are aware of your right and entitlements relating to employment
9.Carers Leave Act - Do you know that unpaid Carers are entitled to up to one week of unpaid leave per year under the Carer's Leave Act 2023, which became law in April 2024 and applies to employees in England, Scotland, and Wales?(Required.)
10.Carers Leave Act - Have you used the Carers Leave Act to take Carers Leave from your employer(Required.)
11.Carers Leave Act - If you have used the Carers Leave Act to access carers leave from your paid employment, did this make any difference to you in your caring role?(Required.)
12.Carers Right to Request Flexible Working - Do you know that unpaid Carers have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, with the right to make two requests per year in England, Scotland, and Wales, thanks to the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023? (Employers must consider the request and can only refuse based on specific business grounds, such as harm to performance, cost, or quality)(Required.)
13.Carers Right to Request Flexible Working - Have you used this to request flexible working from your employer?(Required.)
14.Carers Right to Request Flexible Working - If you have used the right to request flexible working has this made any difference to you in your caring role?(Required.)
15.Carers/Dependents Emergency Leave - Do you know that separate to the Carers Leave Act one week of leave, employees have a separate right to unpaid time off for dependants to deal with emergencies, such as an accident, illness, or breakdown in care arrangements(Required.)
16.Carers/Dependents Emergency Leave - Have you used Dependents Emergency Leave to take leave from your employer(Required.)
17.Carers/Dependent Emergency Leave - If you have used the Carers/Dependents Emergency Leave to access carers leave from your paid employment, did this make any difference to you in your caring role?(Required.)
Anonymous Information - Some anonymous information about you that we need to know in order to inform the research
18.What is your full postcode? (we need this even if you don't provide your name and it won't identify you personally)(Required.)
19.Are you aged 65 or over?(Required.)
20.Do you have a physical or mental health condition that is expected to last more than 12 months or a disability?(Required.)
21.How many hours of unpaid care do you provide per week?(Required.)
Would you like a call back from WIRED about Carers Rights and Entitlements and/or would you like to attend a workshop session with other carers and professionals to explore Carers Rights and Entitlement is Wirral?

WIRED and Wirral Carers Alliance are holding a workshop session on Carers Rights Day (Thursday 20th November 2025) at Eureka Science and Discovery Centre, Victoria Pl, Wallasey CH44 6NR.

The event will run from 10.00am - 1pm and will be for unpaid carers and professionals to explore if unpaid carers in Wirral know their rights, use their rights and what difference using their rights has made to them.

If you would like an invite to this event please answer questions 23 - 26 below.

If you would like a call back from WIRED about Carers Rights and Entitlements, again, please answer questions 23-26 below.

If you do not want an invite to the event on the 20th November 2025 or a call back from WIRED, then there is no requirement to complete questions 23 - 26, if this applies to you please feel free to scroll to the submit button located below question 26 and submit your feedback.
22.Please tell us the reason you are providing your name and full address, please tick all that apply.
23.What is your full name?
24.What is your address?
25.What is your email address?
26.What is your mobile phone number