It is more important than ever to know if you are an unpaid carer. As of December 30th 2020, the government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have published a change to advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination in the UK. In this change, unpaid carers are now on the first priority list to receive the Covid-19 Vaccine.

You can read the changes and how they affected unpaid carers here.

Am I a carer?

We have 3 questions to help you work out if you are an unpaid carer:

Do you help someone out with their day-to-day activities (e.g. Shopping, Laundry)?

Do you support someone outside the home (e.g. transport them to appointments)?

Do you keep someone company and support them emotionally (e.g. watch over them when they can't be left alone)?

If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, it is likely that you are a carer.

What should I do next?

Make an appointment to talk to one of our Carer Wellbeing Facilitators. 

Register as an unpaid carer with your GP surgery: If you have not already done so you should immediately contact your GP practice and inform them that you are an unpaid carer and wish to register as an unpaid carer with your GP. Unless you do that your GP will not know you provide unpaid care and you are likely to miss out on the chance of receiving the vaccine earlier. You should specifically mention that your age (18 to 64) and your caring role put you in the first priorities list of category 6 of the COVID-19 vaccination schedule.

What if my GP practice says that I am not eligible to move to Category 6 of the priorities list of the vaccine schedule?

You should point out firmly that;

1. You are, under UK law (The Care Act 2015), an unpaid carer.
2. In addition, Government guidance sets out clearly in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI): advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination that Category 6 of the vaccine schedule; includes those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
3. Insist that you are legally eligible to be included in Category 6 of the priorities schedule for COVID-19 vaccination