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Informal carers: assessments, breaks, and when to ask for a carer’s assessment

Unpaid carers include relatives, partners, friends, and neighbours providing support because of illness, disability, mental health, or addiction. You may have rights to assessment and support regardless of whether the person you care for accepts services themselves.

  • 📅Last updated 2026-05-07
  • ⏱11 min read
  • 🇬🇧UK support guide
  • ✓Reviewed against official guidance

Guide summary

Unpaid carers include relatives, partners, friends, and neighbours providing support because of illness, disability, mental health, or addiction. You may have rights to assessment and support regardless of whether the person you care for accepts services themselves.

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  • Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.
  • Mental health: anxiety, isolation, grief for the relationship before illness.
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Practical next steps

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Start here

Three immediate actions before you work through the full guide.

  1. 1Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  2. 2Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  3. 3Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.

Quick answer

Unpaid carers include relatives, partners, friends, and neighbours providing support because of illness, disability, mental health, or addiction. You may have rights to assessment and support regardless of whether the person you care for accepts services themselves.

Step-by-step

Your progress

Step 1 of 4

Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.

What this means

  • Prepare: Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Check: Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.

Practical checklist

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Prepare: Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Check: Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.

Example approach

Practical guidance for your situation.

Ask the AI: Help me with step 1 (Sleep) for Informal carers: assessments, breaks, and when to ask for a carer’s assessment

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Evidence checklist

Keep or gather these before you contact an organisation or submit a form.

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  • Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.
  • Mental health: anxiety, isolation, grief for the relationship before illness.

Common mistakes

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  • Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.
  • Mental health: anxiety, isolation, grief for the relationship before illness.

If they refuse, delay, or ignore you

  • Keep notes and ask for decisions in writing.
  • Use the related detailed guide when you are ready for the next step.

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Guide summary

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  • Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.
  • Mental health: anxiety, isolation, grief for the relationship before illness.

Helpful templates

Use the step checklists in this guide, or ask the AI to draft wording for your situation.

  • Copy example wording from any expanded step
  • Use the practical checklist before moving on
  • Ask the AI to tailor a letter or email

At a glance

  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.
  • Money: reduced hours, travel costs, heating for someone home all day.
  • Sleep: night waking, turning, supervision, fear of seizures.
  • Physical strain: lifting without training, back pain, no time for GP.

Official guidance

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