As many as half a million unpaid carers in the UK who look after frail, ill and disabled loved ones are failing to claim the £4,200-a-year carer’s allowance despite experiencing high levels of poverty, according to new estimates.
Campaigners said unpaid carers may have not claimed the benefit partly because of the strict limits dictating the amount of paid work they can undertake on top of their care duties, and the harsh penalties they face if they breach those rules.
