The short answer
Yes. UK law gives parents of disabled children several independent rights to time off work. Each covers a different situation; they stack rather than replace each other.
Carer’s leave (Carer’s Leave Act 2023)
Up to one working week (5 days) of unpaid leave per 12-month period to provide or arrange care for a dependant with long-term care needs. Day-one right, no qualifying service Carer’s Leave Act 2023. Most disabled children qualify as dependants with long-term care needs; no medical evidence is required.
Time off for dependants (Employment Rights Act 1996, s57A)
Reasonable unpaid time off in emergencies involving a dependant: sudden illness or injury, breakdown of usual care arrangements, an unexpected school exclusion or suspension, a child involved in a serious incident at school. Pre-dates and operates alongside the Carer’s Leave Act 2023.
Flexible working (Flexible Working Act 2023)
Day-one right to request flexible working — including adjusted hours, compressed working week, term-time-only, remote or hybrid patterns. Up to two requests per 12 months; employer must respond within two months and can only refuse on one of eight specified business grounds.
Parental leave (Employment Rights Act 1996, s76)
Separately, every employee with at least one year’s service is entitled to up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child up to the child’s 18th birthday (if the child is entitled to disability living allowance or PIP, this is more flexibly used; otherwise capped at 4 weeks per year per child).
What about paid time off?
Statutory carer’s leave, dependants’ emergency leave and parental leave are all unpaid. Many employers offer enhanced paid carer’s leave (typically 5–10 days/year) on top, and a growing number include SEND-specific advisory benefits such as Remarkable Minds’s session packs.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.