Support for young carers

There is support available for "young carers" – that’s anyone under 18 who’s giving extra help and support for a family member with MS.

You might be doing housework, cooking, shopping, helping the person with MS to get dressed or move about the house. Or you might be caring for brothers or sisters.

Lots of people help out at home, but if you're giving lots of care and it's causing you problems, or you just need some information about living with MS, there is help available.

To help get the right support, you can ask for a carer's assessment from your local council.

Support and information for young carers

We’ve written guide for young carers to try to explain about living with someone who has MS.

To find out about local and financial support, contact the Carers Trust charity. That could be to have a break, do activities with other young people in a similar situation, or find someone to talk to.

In Scotland, Young Scot also has support and information for young carers. It includes information about the Young Carer Grant and the Young Carers Package, with things like free cinema tickets, discounted study guides, and other support.

In Northern Ireland, the government website nidirect also has information for young carers.

In Wales, the Dewis Cymru website also has information about your rights and support as a young person.