If you are caring for someone in the UK, you have a legal right to a Carer's Assessment. It is free. It does not matter whether the person you care for is receiving any services. It does not depend on how many hours you care. It is yours.
Most carers in the UK have never had one. Many have never heard of it. This is one of the most significant gaps in how the care system reaches the people it is designed to support.
A Carer's Assessment is a conversation — usually with a local authority social worker — about the impact of caring on your life. It covers your physical and mental health, your ability to work, study, or maintain relationships, and whether you have enough support to continue caring sustainably.
It is not an assessment of whether you are caring adequately. It is not a check on the person you care for. It is specifically about you — the carer — and what you need.
Under the Care Act 2014, any person who provides or intends to provide care to another adult has the right to request a Carer's Assessment. The local authority must carry it out if requested. There is no threshold of hours, no means test, and no requirement that the person being cared for is already receiving services.
A Carer's Assessment that identifies unmet needs can result in:
The assessment doesn't guarantee support. Eligibility depends on the local authority's criteria and budget. But without an assessment, there is no possibility of support. The assessment is the access point — not having one means being outside the system entirely.
Contact your local council's Adult Social Care department and say: "I am a carer and I would like to request a Carer's Assessment under the Care Act 2014." You do not need a GP referral. You do not need to wait to be offered one — most carers are not.
You can also ask your GP to make a referral on your behalf, which sometimes moves the process more quickly. Carers UK (carersuk.org, 0808 808 7777) can advise on the process and support you through it.
The assessment will ask about the nature of your caring role, how caring affects your daily life, your employment and financial situation, your physical and mental health, and what outcomes matter to you personally. Being specific and honest about the impact is important — assessors cannot see what you don't tell them.
Describe your worst days, not your best. If you have given up work, describe that. If you are sleeping poorly, if your own health is suffering, if you have no social contact — say so. The assessment is only as useful as the information you put into it.
If the local authority finds you ineligible or offers inadequate support, you can request a review, make a complaint through the council's formal complaints process, or contact your local Healthwatch. Carers UK can advise on challenging decisions. A Carer's Assessment is a legal right — a council refusing to conduct one without reason can be challenged.
NHS Continuing Healthcare is a separate — and often more significant — entitlement that applies to the person you care for rather than to you. If the person you care for has complex health needs, CHC can mean all their care costs are funded by the NHS. The Entitlements Checker will flag whether this might apply in your situation.
The Carer's Assessment is one of many entitlements most UK carers have never claimed. The Entitlements Checker will show you what else exists in your situation.
💰 Entitlements Checker 🔋 Carer Burnout Check 💼 Employed Carer RightsCarerCompass is free and run by a GP in their spare time.
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