Get prepared for the new Carers Leave Act

January 12, 2024

Across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough there are almost 70,000 people looking after a family member or partner who is ill or disabled. The conditions they have can be as wide-ranging as cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, effects of trauma (e.g. head injury), depression, or frailty and mobility problems due to age. Many people looking after someone are also trying to hold down a job.

At present unpaid, family carers are likely to use their annual leave from work to take a family member to appointments, attend to them if they are especially in need of care, or stay in for delivery of specialist equipment. They use the time off work intended for rest and holidays to do extra looking after which means they never get a break.

The Carers Leave Act is a new law which will give family carers up to 5-days’ unpaid leave a year to do this caring in the hope that this will ease the burden and make life a little easier. This new law will come into force from 6 April 2024.

Local charity Caring Together has been supporting unpaid, family carers for over 40 years so has a deep knowledge of the pressures and stresses they face, and what can make a difference. The charity is offering three webinars in the new year for employers, to explain the Carers Leave Act and help local businesses ensure they are compliant.
Chamber members can benefit from a reduced rate of £27 per hour-long webinar using discount code CCC23. See events section for dates and times on offer, and to book.