CARERS Rights Day – which takes place this Friday – is an opportunity to raise awareness of the needs of carers with the public, decision makers and professionals.
We at the Bank Workers Charity are supporting the event to make carers aware of their rights, to shed light on their needs, and to let carers know the different services BWC has to help them.
If you are a carer you have specific legal rights and entitlements, and it’s important that you know what these are. Don’t overlook your own needs – making time for yourself is crucial to your own health and wellbeing.
According to CarersUK, the UK’s only national membership charity for carers, every year two million people become carers, many of whom struggle to make ends meet and are not aware of the financial and practical support they are entitled to.
This not only affects people who are new to caring but it also happens to people who have been caring for years.
As reported by Carers Trust, a charity that works to improve support, services and recognition for carers, the economic value of the contribution made by carers in the UK is £119bn per year, and taking into account that over the next 30 years the number of carers will increase by 3.4 million (around 60%), the value and the help of carers is vital.
For more information on the benefits available to carers, read our guide on “Benefits for Carers”.
To find out if you are a carer read our “How to tell if you are a carer” guide.
