Councils urged to do more for carers

All-party parliamentary social care group chairwoman Barbara Keeley pointed to a £1.3 billion annual cost in lost taxes and increased benefit payments when carers give up work.

The Labour MP reminded councils that they have the same duty to promote care services as they do for childcare including "ensuring sufficient social care services exist in their areas to meet the care needs of disabled people and carers."

The Social Care (Local Sufficiency) and Identification of Carers Bill would also place duties on GPs, NHS and social care staff to identify and support family members taking on caring responsibilities for older or disabled people.

And she demanded more help for up to 700,000 young carers, who she believed were "the most hidden of all carers."

She said: "Most young carers care for a parent. The care they give may involve much physical care or it may be that difficult thing of providing emotional support to a parent with a mental health problem or a substance addiction."

Business groups are desperate to create a new "market" in care.

Employers for Carers business forum chairwoman Caroline Waters said: "Stimulating the care market can deliver an economic triple win - better services for families, the infrastructure to help employers retain skilled staff and a real boost to economic growth.

"The debate started 20 years ago with childcare and there is now a pressing need to bring the same focus and progress to care for older and disabled people."