In 2010, Rayner married Mark Rayner, a Unison official.[1] She has three sons, the first born when she was aged 16.[2] Her second son Charlie was born prematurely at 23 weeks and Rayner says that the care that her son received demonstrated the importance of the NHS to her.[3][43] Rayner lives in her constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne with her family.