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Carers UK makes a difference to carers' lives. We are proud of the rights and improvements we have won for carers.
"Unsung heroes" and "the forgotten army" are terms that have often been used to describe carers. They conjure up old-fashioned ideas of people who want sympathy or charity. But carers tell us they just want the same rights and choices that other people have - the right to live a normal life.
Carers UK is focussed on winning carers' rights and tackling the inequalities that many carers face. We have been at the forefront of securing the first ever legal rights for carers. These include :
Each year we run Carers Rights Day to ensure carers are informed about their rights. We recently ran a campaign to let carers know about their rights under the Human Rights Act.
Carers UK's Fair Deal Campaign in 2001 revealed that many carers are struggling to make ends meet, with problems paying fuel bills and carrying out essential repairs to their home. Many are unable to make provision for their retirement, storing up poverty in later life. The campaign resulted in:
However, despite these wins financial support for carers is simply not good enough. In 2007 we launched our Real change not short change campaign to improve carer finances and overhaul carer benefits. more...
Carers told us that they felt ignored and invisible when dealing with health services. They also told us how important it was to get a regular break. As a direct result of work by Carers UK :
Many carers are forced to give up work through caring. Carers UK has been at the forefront of work around employment. Our make WORK work campaign has secured new rights. This has resulted in
Before 1980 the word 'carer' wasn't even in the Oxford English Dictionary. Carers UK has done much to raise the awareness of caring as one of the key social issues for the 21st century. We have campaigned hard for financial recognition of carers and the Pensions Act is an enormous milestone in carers' rights, meaning that for the first time a lifetime of caring is treated on a par with a lifetime of paid work by the state pension system.
Carers UK's campaigns are successful because they are based on carers' real life experiences. In 2005 our Back Me Up campaign highlighted the lack of support for carers dealing with emergencies and the devastating impact this can have. Here's how the campaign worked :
In response, the Government has announced £25 million to set up home based emergency respite support in every area in England.
Access to local support for carers is critical. So is a local voice for carers. Many of Carers UK's branches and members have been involved in establishing dedicated carers' organisations in their local area. These have provided support, information and in some cases centres where carers can meet face to face. Thanks to the tireless campaigning of these carers almost every area of the UK now has a dedicated local carers organisation providing much needed information and practical help to thousands of carers. Twenty years ago these sorts of services were almost unheard of.
Find your local carers service. more...
All of these achievements would not have been possible without the support of thousands of individual carers and organisations supporting carers. Many have had their voices heard in the media, helping to keep carers' issues in the public eye and winning over hearts and minds. It is these carers that make the real difference.
The work of Carers UK is far from over. There is still enormous change required before carers are fully recognised and supported. See the key areas we are fighting for. more...
