Are you a carer?

A carer is someone who looks after someone else, without payment. This could be a friend, neighbour or relative who cannot manage on their own because of frailty, illness or disability.

The term 'carer' does not include care worker or anyone who is paid to look after someone. It also does not include volunteers and foster carers.

The term 'carer' also includes young carers and parent carers.

By young carer we mean carers who are under the age of 18. The person they look after is often a parent, but can be a brother or sister, grandparent or other relative.

By parent carer we mean a parent of a disabled child. Parents will often see themselves as a parent rather than a carer, but their child will have additional care needs and may be entitled to additional services.

For more information about what we can do for carers, take a look at the links below:

There are many other local and national organisations that can help carers.

We also publish a guide to a wide range of benefits you may be entitled to. You can download it or order a printed copy from our Publications List.

Carers set to benefit from improved employment support

With effect from 7 December 2009 extra employment support will be available for carers. It will offer carers the choice to combine paid work with their caring and aims to reduce financial hardship.

The improved support will also:

  • ensure that carers have access to appropriate employment programmes
  • offer funding for replacement care when carers wish to participate in other approved activities
  • see a Care Partnership Manager active in every Jobcentre Plus district
  • introduce specialist training for advisors who work with carers

Jobcentre Plus customers with caring responsibilities will also be able to access replacement care funding while they are taking part in employment training.

Carers and work

Our Welfare Rights team have produced a new factsheet about carers employment rights.

Find out more:

Contact our Customer Service Centre for more information.

Have a look at our carers links page for details of other sources of information for carers.

Download our 'Benefits for Carers - Your money' leaflet [PDF 192KB]

In order to read these documents you will need to download Adobe Acrobat (for pdf format) viewer. These are available from the Plug-ins page.

Useful information on pdf files and their accessibility is available at: http://access.adobe.com

Publications

View the list of County Council publications on social care and health subjects that are available to the public.

You can also see the list of publicly available policies and procedures that our adult social care staff work to.

Cinema Card for Carers

Special Concessions for Carers - Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) Concessionary Card

The Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) aims to help carers get concessionary cinema tickets at all major cinema chains in the UK.

In association with cinema companies and the Disability Rights Commission, the Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) have introduced an ID card. This entitles the holder to one free ticket for a person accompanying them to the cinema.

This card is also accepted by all major Cinema chains in the UK. CEA information leaflets and application forms are available from most cinema Box Offices.

To apply for the card you will need to meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Be in receipt of disability living allowance.
  • Be a registered blind person.
  • Be a holder of a disabled person's rail card.

For further information please contact The Card Network on 0845 123 1295 minicom / textphone 0151 356 7113 or visit http://www.ceacard.co.uk/.

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