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| £33m carer-support plan unveiled | £33m carer-support plan unveiled |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A New Deal for Carers has been unveiled which is aimed at people in England helping elderly or disabled relatives. | |
| Some £25m of a £33m budget will go to local authorities to fund emergency respite care for people who need a break from the demands of their role. | |
| The government, which has also set up a consultation, said it would relieve the burden on carers if they were sick or had other family responsibilities. | |
| Charities estimate there are about six million people caring in the UK. | |
| They also estimate that some 2.2 million either start or stop responsibilities each year. | |
| A national helpline for carers will also be created as part of the scheme. | A national helpline for carers will also be created as part of the scheme. |
| The New Deal for Careers will also include the development of an expert carers programme. | The New Deal for Careers will also include the development of an expert carers programme. |
| 'Quality of life' | |
| Ministers say this will provide training and support in areas carers have called for help with, such as information about their legal rights and training in handling. | Ministers say this will provide training and support in areas carers have called for help with, such as information about their legal rights and training in handling. |
| Ivan Lewis, minister for care services said: "This army of carers do not want to give away their family responsibilities. Equally, they want government and local services on their side ensuring the necessary care and support is available to maintain their family's quality of life." | |
| John Wallington, from Leicestershire, is a carer for his wife who suffers mental health problems. | John Wallington, from Leicestershire, is a carer for his wife who suffers mental health problems. |
| He told the BBC: "My job as a carer is a full time job - it is 24/7, 365 days a year. It is my life. | He told the BBC: "My job as a carer is a full time job - it is 24/7, 365 days a year. It is my life. |
| "It is totally unpredictable as to what each day is going to be like when you wake up in the morning." | |
| Carers often put their own health at risk because of concern about what will happen to the person they care for Imelda Redmond, Carers UK | |
| The New Deal was welcomed by the charity Carers UK. | |
| Chief executive Imelda Redmond said emergency support was "essential for carers' health and wellbeing" and said the helpline service would make more people aware of "crucial" information. | |
| Funding pressures means its own helpline can only be run on a part-time basis. | |
| "Carers often put their own health at risk because of concern about what will happen to the person they care for," she said. | |
| "We estimate that £740 million of carers' benefits go unclaimed each year partly because a third of carers do not recognise themselves as a carer in the first five years of caring." | |
| The unveiling of the measures came as Chancellor Gordon Brown announced a national consultation with carers and voluntary organisations. | |
| Help the Aged said the extra funding was a drop in the ocean but showed the government recognised the "invaluable contribution" carers make. | |
| Policy manager Deborah Klee added: "What is vitally needed is better investment in planned respite care and support for carers, rather than only helping people once they get to breaking point." |