This policy briefing anticipates the March 2017 budget and notes the disproportionate impact of the raising of the state pension age on those providing care for older or disabled people while in employment. The authors recommend:

• increased funding for social care putting in place a sustainable funding settlement for social care and ring-fenced funding for carers’ breaks.;
• raising Carer’s Allowance at least to the level of JSA;
• raising the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance in line with the National Living Wage;
• making every workplace carer-friendly and introducing a return to work strategy and programme for carers;
• reviewing carers’ rights within the workplace with a view to introducing a new right to paid care leave of between 5 to 10 days for carers in work;
• introducing a new duty on the NHS to identify carers to promote the development of a Carer Friendly NHS;
• ensuring that any increase in the State Pension Age does not have a disproportionate impact on unpaid carers, and
•  better support for carers, enabling them to care through better housing.