Carer's leave

Carer’s leave lets employees take up to one week of unpaid leave in any 12-month period to give or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. It came in on 6 April 2024, and it is a day-one right. You can take it in half days, full days or a single block, and your employer cannot ask for evidence of the care need.

Who it is for

You can use carer’s leave to care for a dependant, which means:

• your spouse, civil partner or partner
• your child
• your parent
• someone who lives in your household (not a tenant, lodger or employee)
• someone who reasonably relies on you for care

The dependant must have a long-term care need. That covers an illness or injury that is likely to need care for a long time, a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or care needs connected to old age. Gov.uk sets out the definition in full.

You do not have to live with the person or be their main carer. Driving across the country to sort out a parent’s care package counts, as does staying home on the day of a relative’s operation to look after them while their usual carer has a break.

How much leave you get

The entitlement is one week in a rolling 12-month period. A week means the length of your normal working week:

Normal working pattern	Carer’s leave in 12 months
5 days a week	5 days
4 days a week	4 days
3 days a week	3 days
Irregular hours	An average week, worked out from your usual hours

You can split it into half days or full days, or take it all at once. The 12 months is counted back from the date you want to start the leave, not from a set calendar date.

Booking it

You must give your employer notice. The required notice depends on how long the leave is, and gov.uk gives the minimum. You do not have to put the request in writing or explain what the care involves. You just need to say you are entitled to carer’s leave and which days you want.

Your employer cannot refuse it, but they can postpone it if your absence would seriously disrupt the work. In that case they must agree another date with you, give you written reasons, and let you take the leave within a limited period. In shift-based NHS work and in schools, give as much notice as you can, so it can be fitted around the rota or timetable.

Is it paid?

Statutory carer’s leave is unpaid. Some public sector employers pay for some or all of it, or have separate paid special leave for carers. Several NHS trusts and Civil Service departments have carer’s leave policies that go beyond the minimum. Your employer’s carers’ policy, usually on the intranet or in the staff handbook, will say what applies to you.

While you are on carer’s leave, your contract continues and you keep building up holiday. You are protected from detriment and dismissal for taking it.

How it differs from other leave

Carer’s leave is for planned or ongoing care. For a sudden emergency, such as a parent’s fall or a childminder cancelling on the morning, use time off for dependants. That is unpaid too, but has no fixed limit, as long as the time taken is reasonable.

For a child under 18, you can also take unpaid parental leave of up to 18 weeks per child. Carer’s leave is in addition to that.

If your caring role is ongoing, a short annual allowance will not go far. Many carers in the public sector combine it with a flexible working request, such as compressed hours or different start times, which is a day-one right and allows two requests in any 12 months. Our guide to flexible working in the public sector explains how NHS, school and council employers tend to handle requests. If you run into problems, your union rep, Carers UK or ACAS can explain your rights.