Heléna Herklots, chief executive, Carers UK, writes:

Every day 6,000 people in the UK begin caring for a loved one or a friend who is disabled, seriously ill or older. For some, taking on a caring role is ­sudden. For others, caring creeps up unnoticed.

Whether you provide round-the-clock care or look after someone for a few hours a week, and whether you care for someone in your own home or at the end of the motorway, ­caring can have a huge effect people’s lives and plans.

Carers tell us it can be really difficult to get the help they need when their caring journey begins or when their circumstances change. Without this support, caring can take a ­serious toll on a person’s health, as well as their relationships and finances.

That is why, for Carers’ Rights Day, which is today, we have created ‘Upfront’, the first online guide of its kind to help those who are new to caring get the information that is right for them and their unique caring situation.

We will also be publishing our annual Carers’ Rights Guide, giving carers up-to-date information on their rights and signposting them to further support.

With hundreds of events ­taking place in communities across the UK, Carers’ Rights Day is a fantastic opportunity to help carers learn more about their rights and the support they are entitled to. So if you know someone who is looking after a loved one, make sure they are getting all the

help they are entitled to by ­connecting them to Carers UK.

For more information, to access the online Upfront guide to caring, or to get your free copy of our Carers’ Rights Guide, visit www.carersuk. org/carersrightsday.