Carer’s Assessment in England
A practical guide under the Care Act 2014 (what it is, eligibility, outcomes, and how to ask)
If you care for an adult because of illness, disability, mental health needs, or age, you have rights in England under the Care Act 2014. One of the most important is the right to a Carer’s Assessment.
This page explains, in plain English:
- what the Care Act requires councils to do
- what a Carer’s Assessment is actually looking for
- what “necessary care” and “eligible needs” mean
- the Care Act outcomes that may be affected
- what support might follow (including strengths-based options)
- when and how to ask for an assessment — and how to explain impact clearly
Quick reassurance: A Carer’s Assessment is not a judgement of how well you care. It is an assessment of how caring affects your wellbeing, and what support might help.
If you’re unsure if you are an unpaid carer, start with our who are unpaid carers guide by clicking here.
The Care Act 2014 in brief
The Care Act 2014 is the main law for adult social care in England. It places duties on local authorities (councils) to:
- assess carers where it appears they may have needs for support
- consider carers’ wellbeing when making decisions
- apply national eligibility criteria
- provide information, advice, and prevention support
A key principle is that support should focus on wellbeing and outcomes, not just services.
Your right to a Carer’s Assessment
The duty to assess (the “appearance of need” test)
In England, the threshold for being offered a Carer’s Assessment is low:
If it appears you may have needs for support (now or in the future), the local authority should assess you.
Good to know:
- there is no minimum hours of caring required to request an assessment
- you do not have to wait until you are at crisis point
- the person you care for does not need to be assessed first (though assessments can be combined if you both want that), it can however be helpful for them to have an assessment too as it ensures that you both get the support available to you.
What a Carer’s Assessment is looking for
It’s about impact on your wellbeing — not a “carer performance check”
A Carer’s Assessment should explore:
- the impact of caring on your health and wellbeing
- what you want to achieve in day-to-day life
- whether you are willing and able to continue caring
- what would make caring more sustainable
This is why it’s often more helpful to talk about impact and outcomes than just to list tasks.
The wellbeing principle
The Care Act says local authorities must promote wellbeing when carrying out care and support functions — and that includes carers.
In practice, this means the assessment should consider the whole picture, including:
- physical and mental health
- emotional wellbeing and stress
- relationships and family life
- work, education, and training
- having some control over day-to-day life
- being able to take part in community life
Remember, that there is plenty you can do independently to look after your wellbeing in addition to what can be done through an assessment. You may find our how unpaid carers can look after their own wellbeing guide helpful too
“Necessary care” and “eligible needs” explained simply
What does “necessary care” mean?
Eligibility starts with whether your needs arise because you provide necessary care. In plain English, that usually means:
- the adult has genuine care/support needs
- and you are providing care that is realistically needed day-to-day
Those genuine care/support needs are often related to normal daily activities that we all do. Getting washed, dressed, preparing food and eating, being mobile, using the toilet, engaging in admin tasks such as paying bills or food shopping and many more. If the person you care for (due to their illness, disability, mental health, addiction etc.) are either not able to do these at all, are in significant pain by doing them or it takes them substantially longer to do those tasks then you are likely providing necessary care.
What are “eligible needs” for carers?
Carer needs may be eligible if:
- your needs arise from providing necessary care, and
- because of caring, your health is at risk or you’re unable to achieve certain outcomes, and
- this has a significant impact on your wellbeing
Care Act outcomes that caring might be affecting
For carers, the eligibility outcomes include whether caring prevents you from doing things like:
- maintaining a habitable home environment
- managing and maintaining nutrition
- developing and maintaining relationships
- engaging in work, training, education, or volunteering
- using community facilities/services (including recreation)
- engaging in recreational activities
A simple way to think about this is:
“What can’t I do anymore, or can only do at a cost, because of caring?”
What happens after the assessment
Strengths-based support, and the difference between “want” and “need”
The Care Act approach is needs-led and strengths-based. That means a council should consider:
- what you can do with the right support
- what family, friends, and community can realistically contribute
- what local services and VCSE support exist
- what formal support is needed to protect wellbeing and sustainability
Want vs need
Carers often know exactly what they want (for example, a specific service or a certain number of hours of replacement care). The council’s role is to identify what you need to:
- protect wellbeing
- achieve key outcomes
- keep caring sustainable
Sometimes the support offered won’t match your first preference. A good plan should still explain how it meets your assessed needs, and what other options exist.
Different levels of outcome after an assessment
Most carers experience one of these broad outcomes:
1) Eligible needs are identified
If you meet eligibility criteria, the council should create a carer support plan and consider how needs will be met. This may include a personal budget and, in some areas, direct payments.
2) Needs are identified but not eligible
This does not mean “no help.” You should still receive:
- information and advice
- preventative support and signposting
- help to reduce the risk of needs escalating
3) Few/no current needs (but future risk is recognised)
A good assessment still records:
- what you’re doing now
- pressure points and risks
- what to do if the situation changes
Replacement care, breaks, and personal budgets
How support can be combined in real life
Many carers need breaks from caring to protect wellbeing. This can be met through a mix of:
- Replacement care (someone else supports the person you care for so you can rest/work/attend appointments)
- Personal budgets / direct payments (where available) to give choice over how needs are met
- Your own resources and strengths-based options, such as support to have family conversations and share tasks
- Community and VCSE support, including carers centres, peer support, wellbeing groups, and condition-specific charities
It’s common for support to be delivered by organisations commissioned by the council — not always directly by the council.
Taking a break doesn’t just have to mean a holiday or weekend away. There is plenty that can be done when you’re short of time that can help. It’s best to explore a range of things that together build up to help more than you might think. Our how unpaid carers can look after their own wellbeing guide might be helpful.
When and how to ask for a Carer’s Assessment
You might want to ask for an assessment when:
- your health, sleep, work, finances, or relationships are being affected
- you feel you’re “coping”, but it’s taking everything you’ve got
- the caring situation is changing or escalating
- you need a plan for the future, not just crisis response
How to request one (simple steps)
- Contact the local authority adult social care team and request a Carer’s Assessment. A Carers Assessment is carried out by the Local Authority where the person you care for lives or pays council tax to.
- If possible, request in writing (email or online form) so there’s a record
- Your local carers service may be able to help you request it and prepare, or they may be paid by the Local Authority to carry out the assessments on their behalf.
Tips for communicating impact and needs clearly
This is where carers often get unintentionally under-supported — not because their situation isn’t serious, but because they minimise it.
1) Describe a typical week, not your best day
Use simple facts: sleep, hours, unpredictability, supervision, emotional load.
You will need to talk about the care you provide, make sure to talk about the impact it has on you. For example, if you’re woken frequently during the night tell them about the care you provide at those times and how tired it makes you feel, the impact on your ability to do things the next day and on your wellbeing.
2) Link impact to outcomes
For example:
- “I can’t keep the home safe and habitable.”
- “I’m close to leaving work.”
- “I can’t maintain friendships or relationships.”
3) Explain what happens if support isn’t put in place
This isn’t being dramatic, it’s being clear about risk and sustainability.
4) Name the mental load
Planning, monitoring, worrying, and being “on alert” is part of caring.
5) Ask for a copy of the written assessment
Check it reflects what you said and the impact on wellbeing.
What to do next
Some ideas of what to do next:
1) Find your local carers service and ask what support is available with or without a Carer’s Assessment.
2) If caring is affecting your wellbeing, request a Carer’s Assessment from your local council.
3) Spend 10 minutes noting down: what caring stops you doing, how it affects your health/sleep/work, and what would help most.
4) Use the resources below to prepare and feel more confident.
5) Carers UK have further guidance about Carers Assessments here.
Download our free guide to prepare for your Carer’s Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Carer’s Assessment a test of how well I care?
No. It should focus on the impact of caring on your wellbeing and what support might help.
Can I have an assessment if the person I care for hasn’t been assessed?
Yes. Your assessment is about your needs. It can be separate from the cared-for person’s assessment.
Do I have to provide a certain number of hours of care?
No. The trigger is whether it appears you may have needs for support — not a set number of hours.
What does “necessary care” mean?
It usually means you are providing care that’s genuinely needed because the person has care/support needs due to illness, disability, mental health needs, or age.
What if the council says I’m not eligible?
You should still receive information and advice, and may be offered preventative support or signposting.
What support might I get after an assessment?
This varies, but can include a support plan, signposting, carers services, wellbeing support, and sometimes replacement care and/or budgets/direct payments.
What if what I’m offered isn’t what I asked for?
That can happen. The council decides how to meet needs, which may differ from your preferred option. You can ask them to explain how the plan meets your assessed needs and wellbeing outcomes.
Disclaimer
This page provides general information about Carer’s Assessments in England. It is not legal advice. For advice on your situation, speak with a local carers organisation, Citizens Advice, or a specialist adviser. For more details please see our Disclaimer Page.