High time to take more care of the UK’s carers

TODAY’s call for a Carers’ Covenant is overdue. With an ageing population in the UK the rise in informal carers has been huge, and they now number an astonishing 8 million. By 2037, the charity Carers UK anticipates that the number of carers will increase to 9 million: all people who themselves juggle with the various demands of work and family, and who suffer enormously from carrying out their duties. The Government has dragged its heels, and is late with its Green Paper, due earlier this year – possibly because these unsung heroes save the UK an estimated £139billion a year. As this newspaper has consistently argued, these carers are not only making a huge private contribution to society: they are also saving the NHS from being overwhelmed. We support Demos’s call for a bold new package, featuring a Universal Carer’s Income at the same rate as Jobseeker’s Allowance to replace Carer’s Allowance and 10 days of statutory leave a year. It would be the noblest of Christmas gifts to give this neglected community the flexibility, freedom and respect they deserve.