Letter to request a carer’s assessment: free template

Send this letter when you look after a parent, partner or other adult and want your council to assess what support you need as their carer. Under section 10 of the Care Act 2014, councils in England must assess any carer who appears to need support, now or in future, whatever the council thinks of your level of need and whatever your income or savings. A short, clear letter or email starts that duty and gives you a dated record of when you asked.

In short

• Section 10(1) of the Care Act 2014 says a council must assess a carer where it “appears” the carer may have needs for support. You do not have to prove you are eligible before you ask.
• Section 10(4) says the duty applies whatever the council’s view of your level of need, and whatever your finances or those of the person you care for.
• There is no fixed legal deadline for a carer’s assessment in England. Statutory guidance (paragraph 6.29) says it should happen over an “appropriate and reasonable timescale” and the council should tell you an indicative timescale.
• You are entitled to a written record of your assessment (section 12(4)) and to have someone of your choice involved (section 10(7)).
• If the council delays or refuses, complain to it within 12 months, then go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, normally within 12 months of knowing about the problem.
• Carers under 18 and parents caring for a disabled child are assessed under the Children Act 1989 instead (sections 17ZA and 17ZD).

When to use this letter and what to gather first

Use it if you have never had a carer’s assessment, if your last one is out of date because things have changed, or if you asked by phone and nothing happened. It also works if you once turned an assessment down: section 11(6) says that if you later ask for one, the council must carry it out.

Write to the adult social care team at the council where the person you care for lives. The statutory guidance (paragraph 19.6) says the council responsible for a carer is the one where the person being cared for is ordinarily resident, not where the carer lives. That matters if you care for a parent in another county.

Before you write, jot down:

• the name, date of birth and address of the person you care for, and any council or NHS reference number they already have;
• what you do each week, roughly how many hours it takes, and any night-time help;
• how caring affects your sleep, health, job, money, family life and time for yourself;
• what would make the biggest difference, such as a regular break, help with personal care, or a carer’s direct payment;
• anything urgent, such as a recent fall or hospital discharge.

You do not need medical evidence or a set number of caring hours. Section 10(11) says care includes practical or emotional support, so supervising someone with dementia or being on call for an anxious parent counts. Our guide to the carer’s assessment explains what the conversation covers, and preparing for a care needs assessment has tips that work for both kinds of assessment.

Template letter: request for a carer’s assessment

Copy the letter into an email or document, fill in the square brackets and delete any lines that do not apply.

Print or save this letter as PDF

How to send it

• Email is best. Most councils publish an adult social care email address or online form. Email gives you a time-stamped copy. If you use an online form, paste the letter in and screenshot the confirmation page.
• By post, use a delivery method that gets a signature and keep the receipt.
• If you phone, ask for a reference number and send the letter afterwards “to confirm my request made by phone on [date]”.
• Log every call: date, name and what was said.

What happens next and how long it takes

There is no statutory deadline for a carer’s assessment in England. Neither the Care Act 2014 nor the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014 sets a number of days. Paragraph 6.29 of the statutory guidance says an assessment should be carried out over an appropriate and reasonable timescale, taking into account urgency and how needs fluctuate, and that the council should give you an indicative timescale and keep you informed.

The assessment itself can be face to face, by phone, online or a supported self-assessment (paragraph 6.3). Regulation 3 of the Assessment Regulations says it must be appropriate and proportionate, you must be able to take part as effectively as possible, and, if your caring role varies, the council must look at your situation over a long enough period to see the real picture.

Afterwards the council decides whether your needs meet the national eligibility criteria in regulation 3 of the Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015. Broadly, caring must be affecting your health or stopping you achieving at least one listed outcome, such as work, relationships or leisure, with a significant impact on your wellbeing.

If you are eligible, the council will normally have a duty to meet those needs, subject to the conditions in section 20, and must prepare a support plan with you (section 25). Support might be respite care arranged for the person you look after, a carer’s direct payment for things such as gym or leisure centre membership, relaxation classes or training, or help with housework. Councils can charge carers for their own support but many choose not to. Benefits are separate: see our Carer’s Allowance guide (currently £86.45 a week if you care for 35 hours or more).

If the council delays or refuses

A council should not tell you that you “won’t qualify” before an assessment, or that you cannot have one because the person you care for pays for their own care. Section 10(4) rules both out. If that happens, or if the assessment keeps slipping:

1. Complain to the council. Use its adult social care complaints procedure. Under regulation 12 of the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 you should complain within 12 months of the problem, or of when you became aware of it, although the council can accept a later complaint for good reason.
2. Go to the Ombudsman. If you are still unhappy after the council’s final response, or it has not replied within a reasonable time (the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman says that should usually be up to 16 weeks), complain to the Ombudsman. The law says this should normally be within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem (Local Government Act 1974, section 26B), though the Ombudsman can make exceptions. It is free.

If you disagree with the outcome of the assessment rather than the delay, our letter to challenge a care assessment is the next step. For a wider view of your rights, read the Care Act 2014: your rights, and all our templates are in one place on the letter templates and checklists page.

Young carers and parent carers

This letter is for adults caring for adults. Different rules apply in two common cases:

• Young carers (under 18). Section 17ZA of the Children Act 1989 requires the council to assess a young carer if it appears they may need support or if the young carer or a parent asks. It must consider whether the caring is appropriate for them and how it affects their education. When a young carer is approaching 18, section 63 of the Care Act 2014 allows a transition assessment. See young carers and the Carer’s Leave Act.
• Parent carers of a disabled child. Section 17ZD of the Children Act 1989 gives parent carers their own needs assessment, which is requested from children’s services rather than adult social care.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Care Act 2014 applies only in England. In Scotland, the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, section 6, requires councils to offer an adult carer support plan and to prepare one if you ask; see Carer Support Payment in Scotland. In Wales, section 24 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 contains a carer’s assessment duty very similar to England’s; see carer support in Wales. In Northern Ireland, section 1 of the Carers and Direct Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 gives carers a right to an assessment on request from their Health and Social Care Trust.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a carer’s assessment if my mum pays for her own care?

Yes. Section 10(4) of the Care Act 2014 says the duty to assess a carer applies whatever the financial resources of the carer or the person they care for. A self-funding parent, or a parent with savings above £23,250, makes no difference to your right to ask. Any support you are offered may be free, as many councils do not charge carers.

How long does the council have to do a carer’s assessment?

There is no fixed legal deadline in England. The statutory guidance (paragraph 6.29) says assessments should be carried out over an appropriate and reasonable timescale that reflects urgency, and that the council should tell you an indicative timescale. If you hear nothing within a few weeks, chase in writing and complain if delays continue.

Do I have to live with the person to get a carer’s assessment?

No. You count as a carer if you provide or intend to provide unpaid care for another adult, including practical or emotional support. Many people who care at a distance qualify. Contact the council where the person you care for lives, as that council is responsible for your assessment under the statutory guidance (paragraph 19.6).

Can the council refuse to give me a carer’s assessment?

Only if it does not appear that you may have any needs for support, now or in future. It cannot refuse because it thinks your needs are low or because of anyone’s finances (section 10(4)). If you previously declined an assessment and now ask for one, section 11(6) says the council must carry it out.

Can I get a carer’s assessment if I work full time?

Yes. Working does not affect your right to an assessment, and the council must consider whether you work or want to work (section 10(6)). Support can be designed around your job. Carer’s Allowance is different: it has an earnings limit of £204 a week after allowable deductions.

Should I phone or write to ask for a carer’s assessment?

You can do either, but writing is better. An email or letter gives you a dated record, which matters if there are delays and you later need to complain to the council or the Ombudsman. If you phone first, ask for a reference number and confirm your request in writing the same day.

Sources

• Care Act 2014, section 10: assessment of a carer’s needs for support (legislation.gov.uk)
• Care Act 2014, section 12: written records and combined assessments (legislation.gov.uk)
• Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, regulation 3 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Care and Support (Eligibility Criteria) Regulations 2015, regulation 3 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Care and Support Statutory Guidance, chapters 6 and 19 (GOV.UK)
• Children Act 1989, section 17ZA: young carers’ needs assessments (legislation.gov.uk)
• Social Services and NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009, regulation 12 (legislation.gov.uk)
• How to complain: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures for 2026/27, checked October 2026.

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 29 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.