Call the Carers Direct helpline
You can call the Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053 if you need help with your caring role and want to talk to someone about what options are available to you.
If you are busy at certain times of day, you can send the Carers Direct helpline a message and ask for an adviser to call you back for free at a time that is convenient to you.
These services are available for people living in or caring for someone in England.
Information given by the Carers Direct helpline
If you are a carer, the helpline advisers can give you information to help make decisions about your personal support needs and the needs of the person you're looking after.
This information includes assessments, benefits, direct payments, individual budgets, time off and maintaining, leaving or going back to work or education.
The Carers Direct helpline advisers can put you in touch with specialist national or local sources of help, including social care, healthcare and self-help networks and resources.
The helpline staff will tell you how to complain if anything goes wrong with any of the services you use, or put you in touch with your local authority or NHS services.
What areas does Carers Direct not cover?
The Carers Direct helpline doesn't provide personal financial, medical or legal advice and doesn't provide casework, advocacy, representation or counselling.
The Carers Direct helpline is open seven days a week
The helpline is open from 9am-8pm Monday to Friday, and from 11am-4pm at weekends. The helpline is closed on bank holidays.
The cost of the call is the same as a call to a number beginning 01 or 02 (known as "geographic numbers"). For more information, read Ofcom's call costs guide.
Carers Direct online enquiries
If you have a question about caring you can ask it using the online enquiry form. A Carers Direct adviser will normally respond within 24 hours of you submitting your enquiry, excluding bank holidays.
Carers Direct webchat service
If you want to ask a question while browsing the Carers Direct website, or you need help finding information, you can use the webchat service to talk to a Carers Direct adviser live online.
The webchat service is available between 9am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and from 11am to 4pm at weekends. The webchat service is closed on bank holidays.
Language Line translation for Carers Direct
Carers Direct uses Language Line, a telephone translation and interpreting service that has access to more than 170 languages. This three-way conferencing facility enables the helpline advisers to communicate through a trained interpreter, making Carers Direct accessible to many people whose first language isn't English.
You can use the call back form to request a call with a translator at a time convenient to you. You can request to be called back in any of the 170 languages. Instructions are available in:
- Arabic ???
- Bengali ?????
- Cantonese ??
- French Français
- Gujarati ???????
- Polish Polski
- Portuguese Português
- Punjabi ??????
- Somali Soomaali
- Spanish Español
- Turkish Türkçe
- Urdu ????
Text relay services for Carers Direct
Deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people who use a textphone can contact Carers Direct on the textphone/minicom number 0300 123 1004.
Alternatively, you can use the Text Direct service. This is the UK's text to voice relay service. To use the service you simply type a prefix before the telephone number you want to call (18001 if you're calling from a textphone, 18002 from a telephone and 18000 for emergency numbers).
To contact Carers Direct from a textphone via the Text Direct service, call 18001. There is no charge for using this service.
For more information on text relay services, please contact 0800 7311 888 or visit the Next Generation Text Service website, which includes information on accessing the services via smartphone, tablet or computer.
Phone calls are recorded for training and quality purposes only.
Article provided by NHS Choices