Carers often receive free entry to attractions, cinemas, and transport because they are essential for enabling disabled or vulnerable people to access services. This practice, aligned with equality legislation, recognises that without the carer’s support, the person with disabilities might not be able to attend.
Using our 'Acess Pass' and your carer ID card you can claim a free carer tickets at 500+ UK venues. Your membership can unlock free entry into many visitor attractions, theatres and venues. You need to be with the person you care for to obtain a free carer ticket. Use our venue search to see where you can visit.
As an unpaid carer, you and the person you care for can get help with Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, mortgage payments, heating your home and extra help from energy suppliers.
Most of the time unpaid carers do it because we love the person we are caring for. Love and being an unpaid carer shouldn't mean poorer health, poverty, and social isolation. It shouldn't mean being left behind or the feeling of being left out of society.
How to Relieve the Stress of Caring for an Aging Parent: Amy O'Rourke at TEDxOrlando
What qualifies you as an unpaid carer?
An unpaid carer is anyone who cares for someone who is ill, disabled, older, has mental health concerns or is experiencing addiction and is not paid by a company or local authority to do this. Primarily, this is a family member or friend. Someone who receives 'Carer's Allowance' is an unpaid carer.
In the UK, the hourly cost for a carer typically ranges from £15 to £30, with averages often cited around £25-£30 per hour, depending heavily on location (higher in the South East/London), the level of care needed (complex care costs more), and whether you use an agency or an independent carer. Rates are generally higher for specialised skills, weekends, or Bank Holidays.
What country has the best healthcare in the world?
There's no single "best," as it depends on priorities, but Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia consistently rank at the top in recent global indices for overall performance, balancing infrastructure, costs, and outcomes. Other highly-rated systems include Singapore (efficiency/tech), Japan (quality), Canada, Sweden, and Netherlands, often praised for universal access, high quality, or specific strengths like preventative care, though rankings vary by report.
You can continue to get Carer's Allowance whilst you are abroad if you meet any of the following conditions: You go abroad with the person you look after, and they continue to receive their qualifying disability benefit, and the purpose of your trip is to look after them.
Carers Trust currently has a grant fund open for individual adult carers, aged 16+. Carers may be able to apply for grants of up to £300 for items or activities that will benefit them in their caring role> , for example for: Breaks for carers, with or without the person they care for.
Carers can get free entry to attractions, public transport discounts, help with health costs (prescriptions, dental), and potentially claim financial benefits like Carer's Allowance, Carer's Credit, or Pension Credit, plus local council support for things like household bills, equipment, or respite care, with various schemes offering discounts on shopping and days out. Support often comes through local authority Carer's Assessments or by proving carer status for free entry to venues.
Yes, carers often get free cinema tickets through the UK's CEA Card scheme, which provides a free ticket for a companion when the disabled cardholder buys their own full-price ticket, enabling access for those with disabilities. To get this, the person being cared for usually needs proof of receiving specific disability benefits (like DLA, PIP) or meets other criteria, and the card costs a small fee and is valid for a year.
Is healthcare better in the UK or the US? According to the Commonwealth Fund's analysis, the UK healthcare system ranks better than the US system, with the US ranking 11th and the UK ranking 4th in their latest report. This suggests that healthcare in the UK is better overall.
The best doctors in the world are often found in countries with top-ranked healthcare systems and medical education. These include the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
What happens if you run out of money in a care home?
When self-funding care home money runs out (capital drops below approx. £23,250 in England), the local authority steps in after a needs and financial assessment; they fund care but may require you to move to a cheaper home, pay a third-party top-up if you stay in a more expensive one (family not obligated unless they signed a contract), or use a deferred payment agreement to use your home's equity, ensuring you aren't left without care.
From 3 July 2025: If you are single, €625 of your total weekly income is not taken into account in the means test for Carer's Allowance. If you are married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting, the first €1,250 of your combined total weekly income is not taken into account.
How much does it cost to hire a 24 hour live-in carer?
The cost for 24-hour live-in care varies significantly, typically ranging from £1,200 to over £2,000 per week in the UK, or around $200-$400+ daily in the US, depending heavily on location, complexity of care (e.g., dementia, complex medical needs), and whether it's an agency or private hire; agency costs cover management and backup, while private hires might need more oversight but can be cheaper, with costs rising for couples or specialized skills.
