In June 2025, the Scottish Parliament passed The Care Reform Bill marking a pivotal moment for Scotland’s unpaid carers as it passed into law a new legal Right to A Break from caring. Work is now underway on implementation plans, though a date is yet to be set.
This new right has the potential to be transformative for carers. The legislation makes changes to the existing Carers Act and means that access to sufficient breaks from caring will be an identified personal outcome for every carer. Where a carer is unable to take sufficient breaks, the support required to meet that need is recorded within a plan, and the local authority has a legal duty to provide the support necessary to meet it.
More information can be found on the Shared Care Scotland website.