Carers Direct
Overview
Carers Direct is a national information, advice and support service for carers in England. It provides an online guide to social care and a confidential helpline providing information and advice for carers. Language Line is available for people who need an interpreter.
Call the Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053 if you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone. If you’re busy at certain times of the day, send the Carers Direct helpline a text message and ask for an adviser to call you back at a time that is convenient to you. The helpline is available for people caring for someone in England.
If you want to ask a question while browsing the Carers Direct website, or you need help finding information, you can use the webchat service to talk to a Carers Direct adviser live online.
If you’re a carer, the Carers Direct helpline advisers can give you information on topics such as:
- carer’s assessments
- benefits for carers
- direct payments
- personal budgets
- taking time off work
- starting or going back to work
The Carers Direct helpline advisers can also put you in touch with specialist national or local sources of help, including social care, healthcare and self-help networks and forums.
The Carers Direct helpline doesn’t provide personal financial, medical or legal advice and doesn’t provide casework, advocacy, or counselling.
Overview
If you’re a carer, the Carers Direct helpline advisers can give you information on topics such as:
- carer’s assessments
- benefits for carers
- direct payments
- personal budgets
- taking time off work
- starting or going back to work
The Carers Direct helpline advisers can also put you in touch with specialist national or local sources of help, including social care, healthcare and self-help networks and forums.
The Carers Direct helpline doesn’t provide personal financial, medical or legal advice and doesn’t provide casework, advocacy, or counselling.
Contact Details
Phone:
0300 123 1053
Email:
https://carersdirectenquiry.serco.com/newcarersemail/
Website:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/
Address:
Webchat: https://carersdirectenquiry.serco.com/visitor/EntryPage.htm
Other Info
Opening times:
The helpline is open from 9am-8pm Monday to Friday, and from 11am-4pm at weekends. It's closed on bank holidays.
Costs:
Calls are charged at the standard rate.
Disabled Access:
Deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people who use a textphone can contact Carers Direct on the textphone/minicom number 0300 123 1004.
Alternatively, you can use the Text Direct service. This is the UK’s text to voice relay service. To use the service you simply type a prefix before the telephone number you want to call (18001 if you're calling from a textphone, 18002 from a telephone and 18000 for emergency numbers).
Directions:
Other information:
Run by the NHS and the website is part of NHS Choices.
Last updated:
8th January 2022
Working in partnership with:
