How many carers do you know?

There are 6.5 million carers in the UK, so chances are you know someone who is one, or you may be one yourself.

8 - 14 June is National Carer's Week, and an opportunity to highlight the daily challenges carers can face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities.

Day in, day out carers help people who need support the most to live their lives. Depending on the situation this can be helping people for a short period of time, if for example a friend is ill, right through to supporting a family member who needs 24 hour care.

As well as providing physical support some carers also become someone that speaks out on behalf of the person they are caring for, to make sure their rights are upheld.

This can include legal problems, and times when a legal solution is needed to help protect someone that is being cared for. Examples include powers of attorney, wills, family trusts, protection orders, discrimination issues, and benefit challenges.

Like any legal situation though, it can be hard to know who to talk to, and where to start.

To mark National Carer's Week, Legal Choices has updated our help page for carers, which has ideas and facts about some of the ways to help carers get advice and support with legal problems.

For information about National Carer's Week you can visit the website - www.carersweek.org