Unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children

The Department for Business and Trade has launched a consultation on the employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children.

The Carer’s Leave Regulations 2024 provide eligible employees with a statutory right to take unpaid carer’s leave for the purpose of providing or arranging care for a dependant with a long-term care need. Leave is available to take in increments of half days or individual days, up to a maximum of one week in total, to be taken over a 12-month period.

The consultation seeks to consider whether the existing entitlement to carer’s leave remains fit for purpose and to identify whether there are improvements that could make a meaningful difference.

Currently, carer’s have access to unpaid carer’s leave, time off for dependants, as well as flexible working and annual leave. Parents have wider access to unpaid parental leave and neonatal care leave.

The consultation also includes consideration of the proposed Hugh’s Law, which would provide financial support and leave for parents and caregivers in the days and months following their child being diagnosed with a serious illness.

Considerations within the consultation include:

• Extending the existing entitlement of one week (pro rata) unpaid leave.
• Introducing a statutory ‘right to return’ after a longer period of unpaid leave.
• Introducing a short period of paid carer’s leave to address any financial barriers faced by some carers.

The consultation closes on 1 September 2026.

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