4.2.3 Carers’ Breaks

1. Introduction

A carer is anyone who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid. Carers can be adults or children.

There are many different types of caring, such as taking someone to appointments, managing finances, preparing meals, helping them with bathing or toileting, managing their medication, or providing emotional support.

Many carers juggle their caring responsibilities with work, study and other family commitments.

It can be difficult for carers to prioritise their own needs, but breaks are vital to the carer’s own wellbeing and can help to prevent, reduce or delay the onset of their own health needs (see the chapters on Promoting Wellbeing and Preventing, Reducing or Delaying Needs chapters). It can also give the adult who is being cared for an opportunity to enjoy new experiences, have a change of scene and routine and mix with other people.

2. Different Types of Breaks

Carers can take breaks in different ways. Some breaks may be very short but regular, for example an hour or two each week, occasional full days, a one or two week holiday (the carer either goes away or stays at home with no caring responsibilities) or a combination or all of these.

3. Care and Support Options for the Adult

There are a number of different care options available for the adult, whilst the carer has a break.

3.1 Arranging alternative care themselves

Adults and carers can make private arrangements such as:

• employing a paid care worker (directly or through an agency);
• paying for short-term residential care;
• arranging a holiday for the adult.

3.2 Family and friends

Some carers may be able to ask friends or family to care for the adult while they take a short break or holiday, either by them going to stay at the other person’s house, or family and friends going to stay with them or visit them regularly.

3.2 Support from organisations

The local authority can provide information about local services and organisations which provide support to adults and carers.

Organisations can provide services for either the carer or the adult or provide information to help them decide what alternative care services to use.

3.3 Short breaks / respite care / replacement care via the local authority

The local authority can arrange short breaks or respite care (also known as replacement care) for the adult so that the carer can have time away from caring. Such breaks help carers stay well and feel better able to cope with caring.

To receive a short break, the local authority will need to carry out assessments with both the adult and the carer, to ensure they are both eligible (see Assessment chapter).

Carers can request a carer’s assessment from the local authority where the adult they care for is living (see Ordinary Residence chapter).

A carer’s assessment will look at the caring role and how they feel about this. It will also look at how caring affects the carer’s:

• work and personal life, including their wellbeing;
• physical, mental and emotional health;
• work, study, training and leisure commitments and goals;
• personal relationships; and
• housing situation.

The assessment will also look at contingency planning / planning for emergencies.

If the local authority assesses that the carer is in need of support, this may be provided directly to the carer, to the adult they are caring for, or a combination of both.

Short breaks / respite care can be provided through:

• day care – where the adult attends a service or participates in activities away from home, enabling the carer to have a break;
• day-sitting service – which enables the carer to go shopping, meet friends or have time to do other things they want to do;
• night-sitting service –to care for the adult during the night, to enable the carer to rest and sleep throughout the night;
• residential or nursing care – where the adult goes for a short stay in a residential or nursing home;
• holidays – help and support for the carer and / or adult to go on holiday either together or separately;
• direct payments – following assessment a person with a disability or ill health can receive payments so that they can arrange and pay for their own care and support services (see Direct Payments chapter).

3.3.1 Paying for short breaks / respite care

The local authority where the adult being cared for lives may charge them for any short breaks / respite care services provided. It may also request that carers pay for services they receive. Where the local authority does charge for services, it must follow the Care and Support Statutory Guidance about how income/ capital is taken into account. Carers should be told about this as part of their assessment.

4. Costs of a Break

If a carer needs financial assistance in order to be able to take a break, either alone or with the adult, there may be some help they can receive.

A carer’s assessment can lead to a carer’s personal budget if a carer is eligible. Carer’s personal budgets can be used to pay for a short break away from home or regular activities to support a carer’s wellbeing such as massages, therapies, social or leisure activities.

There may also be grants or schemes available locally to help carers with the cost of a holiday. The local authority information and advice service should provide information about such possibilities (see Information and Advice chapter).

5. Unpaid Leave for Carers

Under the Carer’s Leave Act (2023), employees who provide or arrange care for someone with a long-term care need can take up to ‘one week’s’ unpaid leave each year so they can better balance work with their caring responsibilities. (The number of days they can take depends on how many days each week they work; for example if they work three days a week they can take three days a year.) The time can be taken flexibly in full or half days, or in a whole block of five days. It is available from the first day of employment, and ensures carers have the same employment protections as employees taking other forms of family-related leave.

See also:

Unpaid Carer’s Leave (gov.uk) 

Carer’s Leave Act (Carer’s UK) 

6. Benefits Payments

Payment of benefits can sometimes be affected if the carer has a break or they or the adult goes into hospital or residential care.

Up to date advice about carers, adults and Department for Work and Pensions benefits is available from

• Carers UK;
• Citizens Advice;
• Department for Work and Pensions.