New carer’s leave rights become law today

2 mins read

Saturday 6 April 2024

Tags: carer's leave, carer's rights, unpaid leave, carer's leave act

Carers in England, Scotland and Wales are now entitled to one week’s unpaid leave to fulfil their caring responsibilities.

The Carer’s Leave Act becomes law today, granting 2.3 million carers (source: Carer’s UK) new rights to leave from their first day of employment.

Working carers – which includes anyone providing or arranging care for a relative or dependent – will be able to take the unpaid leave in half or full days.

Read about the Carer’s Leave Act in more detail on the Carers UK website.

What are my rights to unpaid leave?

All parents have the right to up to four weeks’ parental leave a year to care for their children. This is usually unpaid, though some employers have more generous provisions.

While parents usually have to take this in one-week blocks, you can take parental leave a day at a time if your child gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

To be eligible for parental leave, you must have been working for a company for at least one year. You must also give at least 21 days’ notice for any leave you take.

Employees are also entitled to time off for dependents to deal with any immediate situations.