The ninth annual Carers Rights Day, a national awareness day organised by Carers UK, will be held on 4th December 2009.

The focus of this year’s Carers Rights Day is on Caring for your income and pension. Groups around the country will be holding events to make sure that carers are getting the support and benefits they deserve and protecting their pensions for the future.There are nearly 6 million carers in the UK and 2.3 million people become carers every year. Almost three quarters of carers suffer financially as a result of caring. Many carers simply do not realise that they are entitled to any help.

Others miss out because they struggle to understand complex and badly explained benefits forms and information, and many simply do not have time to sit down and sort out think about their pensions.

It is vital that carers get the information, or get assessed, to claim the benefits that are rightfully theirs because:

• Shockingly, millions of carers benefits are not claimed each year, while carers across the country cut back on essentials like food, clothes and heating, to make ends meet
• Carers may be missing out on a range of other discounts and benefits like Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

Help make Carers Rights Day matter. Last year, the events held helped advise over 30,000 carers.

Claiming the Carer’s Allowance can help protect basic State Pension rights for carers under 65.

Carers UK have produced a booklet: Looking After Someone? – A guide to carers’ rights and benefits which provides specialist advice to carers.

Carers can order free copies from Carers UK by calling 0845 241 9379, visiting www.carersuk.org, emailing carersrightsday@carersuk.org, or by writing to Carers UK at: 20 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4LX

Further information on issues affecting carers can be found at the Carers UK website