Carers Rights Day

Carers Rights Day

Today is Carers Rights Day 2025. Today, and everyday we celebrate the vital role carers play in our society. This year’s theme is ‘Know you rights, use your rights.’ All carers deserve to know their rights and be supported to use them.

At ARC NI, we have been working to create a range of resources for family carers, so they can find advice, stay informed, and feel supported.
Visit our Community Support page for Family Carers to learn more.

Many people with a learning disability rely on carers every day. TILII reminds us that carers help at home, when we go out, remind us about appointments, and help us stay calm when we’re stressed.

The Facts

According to Carers NI,

• There are 220,000 unpaid carers in NI – that’s 1 in 8 people.
• Over 17,500 children and young adults are carers (8% of all unpaid carers).
• Unpaid carers contribute an estimated £5.8 billion to social care each year.
• 1 in 3 carers often feel lonely.
• 1 in 3 delay their own health treatment because of caring responsibilities.
• Over half say their physical health has suffered.
• 1 in 3 women providing unpaid care have left employment to care.
• 1 in 4 carers live in poverty.
• Less than two-thirds have had a break from caring in the past year.
• The number of people doing the most intense caring has risen sharply in the past 20 years.

Social Care Collaborative Forum

ARC NI is a part of the Social Care Collaborative Forum. As part of the reform to Adult Social Care and Support, we are working towards creating a dedicated workstream for unpaid carers. This aims to create policies and strategic frameworks that truly recognise and value carers’ essential contribution in Northern Ireland.

What TILII Members Say About Their Carers

Over the past couple of weeks, TILII members have been sharing stories and talking about what carers mean to them. Here are some of the things they said:

1. “My mum helps me understand things that are confusing.”
2. “My sister supports me when I’m anxious. She knows what helps me best.”
3. “My carers help me try new things I would be scared to do alone.”
4. Then Alex added, “My carers have the patience of a saint,  especially when I tell them my jokes!” Everyone agreed he wasn’t wrong.

A  few TILII members are carers themselves. They help look after parents, partners, or siblings. They said:

• “Caring can be tiring but also very important.”

• “Sometimes we need support too.”

• “It’s nice when someone notices what we do.”

What TILII Groups have been doing to celebrate Carers Rights Day

To celebrate Carers Rights Day, TILII groups have been doing a mix of talking, sharing, laughing, and maybe even a bit of cake eating – Yum Yum Yum!

We have been:

• Learning more about carers rights and making sure everyone understands them in simple, plain English
• Thinking about how we can support our carers
• Sometimes carers forget to look after themselves. We talked about ways to help, like reminding them to rest or telling them it’s okay to take a break
• Saying a proper thank you – through cards, posters, poems and plenty of cake!

As Joseph said in his poem:
“Roses are red, violets are blue, carers are brilliant, and so are you.”

*For more information and advice take a look at Carers NI’s Factsheets