Government pledge to stop benefit cuts for working carers

The government has announced plans to make it easier for people caring for elderly relatives to stay in employment, by ensuring they no longer lose their benefits.

Currently carers are entitled to an allowance of £48 a week, but only if they earn no more than £95 a week. If their earnings go above this threshold, they are often forced to make a choice between leaving their job or losing benefits.

Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, first disclosed the new measures ahead of Labour's spring conference, saying: "we weren't afraid of being called the nanny state and we won't be afraid of being called the granny state."

In her speech to the conference in Birmingham yesterday, she went on to say: "Our society is not just multi-cultural – it's multi-generational too."

"we know that what matters to older people almost more than anything is the care and support of their family. And just as we are backing up families bringing up children, we will back up families who are caring for elderly relatives."

This is one of a series of proposals designed to ease pressure on working families who have to look after both their children and their parents, who have been called the 'sandwich generation'. Further details will be announced over the coming months.

In his first speech to the conference as party leader, Gordon Brown pledged new entitlements for the millions of people looking after disabled or elderly relatives, once the Care Commission reports in the summer:

"I want our new carers commission to hear the call for change from millions of carers - and this government will now do more for respite care, for training of carers, for better pension rights and to give new priority to caring for disabled children."

Related news:

Read the Prime Minister's speech in full on the BBC website

Find out about landmark case involving a carer's discrimination claim against her employer, which was heard recently in the European Court: Carer's discrimination case gains ground in European Court

Age Concern have recently published their annual report outlining policy developments and trends relating to older people: Age Agenda 2008 report