Carer's organisation welcomes new act allowing unpaid leave

The Carer's Leave Act comes into force today (6th April)

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 6th Apr 2024

A carer's non-profit organisation has welcomed a new law entitling workers in the UK to take unpaid leave in order to care for a dependant person.

The Carers Leave Act comes into force today (6/4) and will apply to more than two million people in England, Wales and Scotland who have unpaid caring roles, according to Carers UK.

They've welcomed the new Bill, saying it's a 'huge step forward'.

Under the new act, employees who are carers can take up to a week of unpaid leave every 12 months - equating to five days for most people.

Workers are afforded leave to give or arrange care for a dependant who needs more than three months care for physical or mental illness or injury, has a disability or needs care due to old age.

A dependant is not necessarily a family member.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: "The Carer's Leave Act coming into force is a huge step forward for millions of carers, which recognises the vital importance of their caring role and empowers them to ask for support in the workplace - in the form of unpaid Carer's Leave - knowing that they have a legal entitlement to this."

She added that too many people are leaving employment due to the stresses of balancing work and an unpaid care role.

But the new act now means employers across the country 'must recognise carers in the workplace'.

The Bill was brought to Parliament in 2022 by Wendy Chamberlain MP. She's called it 'vital progress in improving carers' employment rights'.

She said: "Caring or being cared for is something that almost everyone will experience at some point in their life.

"The work unpaid carers do is so vital yet is it extremely underappreciated. This hard work should be better recognised which is a key reason why I led the Carer's Leave Act through Parliament."

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: "The role of a carer effectively means some have to work two jobs with the stress of juggling work with caring for a disabled or elderly relative.

"These new laws will enable a better balance of caring responsibilities with work commitments, supporting people to remain in employment and building on the UK's flexible and dynamic labour market."

Poll suggests 10% of carers understand new Act

While the new Act is good news for carers, a poll of 1,000 unpaid carers suggested the vast majority don't have a good understanding of the new Act.

Just over half of those surveyed (56%) felt the current Government support for carers is 'ineffective'.

The polling, commissioned by GoodOaks Homecare, "is not a cheerful and optimistic read, and there are findings which will make politicians of all parties uneasy", said Conservative MP Damian Green in his role as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on adult social care.

In a foreword for a report accompanying the polling, he highlighted conclusions that carers "are not happy with the level of the Carer's Allowance, and they want the entitlement to some respite leave", as well as "more support for their own health and wellbeing, which are too often sacrificed in the interests of those who need the care".

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