Carer's Leave Act starts soon
Carer’s Leave Act starts 6th April
The Carer’s Leave Act of 2023 created legislation giving employees who are unpaid carers access to up to five days unpaid leave from work (each year), in support of their caring responsibilities.
Starts soon
The Act will come into force very soon – on 6th April 2024, once the draft regulations are passed.
The regulations state that the Act applies to all employees in England, Scotland and Wales, and that they need to be providing ‘long-term care’.
Further regulations cover how the leave can be taken (half or full days, up to a whole block of a week at once), and how the employee should request the leave.
More on Carers UK’s website.
Long time coming
Wendy Chamberlain MP first brought the Carer’s Leave Bill to the House of Commons in 2022. It passed through there, moving to the House of Lords in 2023. Finally in May last year, the Bill gained Royal Assent and became the Carer’s Leave Act 2023.
Charity Carers UK have been instrumental in driving this forward. Parliament still needs to pass the draft regulations, and Carers UK will provide further updates when this happens, ideally in advance of the April start.