Carer Helplines & Online Support
Carers UK offers an information and guidance helpline service. The Helpline is available on: 0808 808 7777 from Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm or carers can email: advice@carersuk.org
You can contact The Carers Trust Wales at: Tel: 0300 772 9702. Email: wales@carers.org or for general info: info@carers.org.
For local support accessed through the Carers Trust Network Partners please see below – ‘Local support’.
Carers Wales offers a Listening Support Service. Carers can receive a series of phone calls offering a safe place to talk about issues they are facing. Trained volunteers who also have caring experience will call at pre-arranged times. Carers can self-refer to the service, or professionals, friends and family can refer, with the carer’s permission. Please click here to find out more and make a referral.
Carers UK offers an online forum where carers can ask questions and get support from other carers. Visit the forum here.
Support from the Council
All councils have a legal duty to offer information, advice and assistance services. Please click here for a list of local councils and their websites.
Local support: Carers Trust Network Partners
The Carers Trust supports carers at a local level by offering a unique network of Network Partners. These partners are independent local services for carers of all ages. There are also many network partners that offer services specifically for young carers. A carer can visit the local network page here and enter their postcode to find the local services in their area.
Young Carers & Young Adult Carers
The Carers Trust offers information, advice, support and signposting for young carers and young adult carers. They also provide best practice guides and research into working with young carers and young adult carers.
Adult Carers
Both the Carers Trust and Carers Wales / Carers UK offer a wide range of information, advice and support for carers and professionals working with carers.
Visit the help & advice pages at Carers Wales here.
Visit the help & information pages at Carers Trust here.
Benefits, Finance & Assessments
Carers Wales offer a range of factsheets and information on claiming benefits for themselves or the person they care for. These include Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.
They also have factsheets and guides to assessments such as a Carer’s Needs Assessment.
Please click here for the factsheet page.
The Carers Trust offers a suite of resources on benefits, including a benefits calculator, advice on financial support including grants and help with heating costs and emergency financial support.
Emergency Card & Young Carer Card
Carers Emergency Card
Carers Wales introduced an emergency card that carers of all ages can carry with them to let emergency workers know they are a carer should an accident, illness or other emergency happen t them and they became incapacitated. The card is free and can be requested by calling Carers Wales on: 029 2081 1370 or e-mailing info@carerswales.org.
More information can be found here.
Young Carers ID Card
Carers Trust have introduced a Young Carers ID Card (YCID) in Wales. This card helps to support young carers by letting professionals, including doctors, pharmacists and teachers to recognise and support them appropriately. The scheme is run in partnership with councils across Wales. The councils currently participating are:
- Ceredigion
- Torfaen
- Anglesey
- Gwynedd
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Wrexham
- Blaenau Gwent
- Swansea
- RCT
- Newport
If the young carer you are supporting lives in one of these local council areas, they can contact the council directly to request a Young Carers ID card. Please see the link in the ‘councils’ section above for contact details of each council.
Wellbeing & Activities
The Carers Trust Network partners offer a variety of wellbeing and activity sessions to help support carers in their local area. Each network partner offers different support and activities. Please visit the link above in the ‘Local Support’ section to find the local Network Partner and the current activities offered in each area.
Carers Wales offers a range of online support and wellbeing activities for carers. These include Me Time sessions – online sessions which cover activities including psychological support sessions on areas such as managing stress and anxiety and building confidence and self-esteem. There are also sessions in yoga, mindfulness, dance, craft, nature and other relaxing and connective activities for carers.
Care for a Cuppa sessions are a chance to have an informal chat with other carers online.
Carers Wales also has a wellbeing hub with resources and videos to help support carers with their wellbeing.
For more information please visit the wellbeing pages at Carers Wales here.