Help for young carers

How to tell if you're a young carer

You’re a young carer if you’re both of these:

• 19 years old or younger
• helping someone at home because they can’t look after themselves

You may be regularly helping a family member – adult or child – who has a:

• long-term illness – such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes
• physical disability – eg uses a wheelchair, is deaf or blind
• mental health problem – like depression or schizophrenia
• problem with drugs or alcohol

You may have to:

• help someone wash, go to the toilet or get dressed
• lift someone, help them using the stairs or with physiotherapy
• cook, do the housework or go shopping because an adult can’t do it
• manage your family’s budget, collect benefits and prescriptions
• give medicine or pills to an adult or disabled brother or sister
• go with someone to the doctor or hospital
• look after a brother or sister and make sure they’re safe
• translate or interpret for someone
• cheer someone up or help them when they are feeling down

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