Ministers drop their plans to pay 'salaries' to family carers

The radical proposal - trumpeted by ministers earlier this year - was missing from a £255million package of measures to support carers unveiled yesterday.

Some £150million will be used to extend respite breaks over the next two years, while £38million will help carers stay on at work.

Another £6million is being ring-fenced to ensure the 175,000 children who care for sick family members do not take on an 'inappropriate' level of responsibility while £61million is to be split between charities and health checks for carers.

Shelved: Plans to pay salaries to carers of elderly or sick family members have been scrapped

But the proposed salary for carers has been watered down to merely 'encouraging increased use of direct payments' by local authorities. Whitehall sources admitted there was not enough money available.

Tory spokesman Stephen O'Brien said: 'Carers will never have the support they need until the whole care and support system is reformed, yet the Government continue to drag their feet.'

Support groups gave the announcement a cautious welcome but said it did not go far enough.

Ministers drew up the funding package after a consultation exercise involving more than 33,000 people.

Health minister Ivan Lewis said: 'In the next decade elder care will be the new childcare and it is essential our policies properly meet the scale of the challenge.

'Today's announcement is the beginning of a ten-year programme to give carers the recognition and status they deserve.'

There are some 5.2million carers in England and Wales. Almost half of them provide more than 20 hours' care a week and more than a million provide more than 50 hours.

There is a carer's allowance of £50.55 a week but it is denied to those receiving a state pension, those who spend less than 35 hours a week on care, those earning more than £95 a week after tax and full-time students.

The cost to local authorities for each person who needs care ranges from under £100 a week, for those requiring a few hours of help, to £100,000 a year for full time care.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Caring for Carers said in a joint statement: 'Carers will be bitterly disappointed that Government is not taking immediate action to rectify the low level of carer's allowance or the difficulties in claiming it.

'They need help now, especially with rising food, heating and transport costs.'

Imelda Redmond, chief executive of Carers UK, said: 'This is an important step forward. However, we are disappointed there is no immediate financial help for the thousands of carers who rely on benefits.'

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: 'While this money is welcome, it is tiny compared to the value of care that an army of friends and relatives provide for free day in, day out.'