Nick Clegg sets out respite for carers guarantee

A million unpaid carers in England could get a week's break every year under plans from the Liberal Democrats.

The scheme would apply to those caring for more than 50 hours a week and would cost £460m.

The Lib Dems say money allocated by the government for the Personal Care at Home Bill could be redirected to fund the new scheme. Leader Nick Clegg said he wanted to offer respite to the "hidden army of heroes" working as voluntary carers. The Personal Care at Home Bill is designed to provide free care in the home for 280,000 of the most vulnerable people in England. It was announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown last year, with £420m of government money allocated to it.

Mr Clegg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the bill was "flawed" and needed to be re-examined. "But in the meantime [we want to] do something with the money... to help those people who are like a hidden army of heroes in this country," he said. "There are five million people in this country saving the rest of us, the rest of us taxpayers, £87bn a year because of all the help they are giving to people who are very vulnerable - feeding, washing, dressing and so on.

Under the proposals, carers would receive a "personal budget" equivalent to the cost of a week's residential care. This would allow them to take a seven-day holiday or series of shorter breaks while their loved one was looked after elsewhere.

In a speech on Monday to healthcare charity the King's Fund, Mr Clegg said carers were "some of the most dedicated, hardworking and undervalued" people in the country, and a week's respite could make a big difference to their lives.

The government is urging anyone who voluntarily cares for a friend or relative for more than 20 hours a week to take advantage of a new scheme to build up their state pension entitlement. It says up to 4.7million people could benefit from the Carer's Credit, which launches in April.

Carole Cochrane, chief executive of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, said she was "delighted" the Lib Dems had chosen to focus on the issue. "With demand for caring starting to outstrip supply, a substantial investment in carer support is the thing most likely to avoid collapse in our social care system," she said. "As well as breaks, carers need specialist advice, back-up in emergencies and emotional support."

Imelda Redmond, chief executive of charity Carers UK, also welcomed the proposal. But she said: "We do not want this to be at the expense of the improvements that would be delivered through the Personal Care at Home Bill. This would give people the right to free personal care - something families have campaigned for since 1993."

Social care for the elderly and other vulnerable people has been the subject of a political row in recent weeks. On Friday, the Conservatives boycotted a conference to discuss the issue after Labour proposed a compulsory £20,000 levy to pay for care. Health Secretary Andy Burnham has called for a cross-party consensus to be reached, but his shadow, Andrew Lansley, has said he wants the so-called "death tax" scrapped as an option. Instead, the Tories have put forward a plan for an optional £8,000 fee to be paid on retirement.

Mr Clegg called for an independent cross-party commission to be set up to examine the future of care in England. "None of the political parties have got a fully rounded, fully worked-out solution to this huge demographic problem of how we provide care for the growing number of people who need care," he said.

In his speech, he also set out five priorities for a "flexible, accountable and fair" NHS:

•protecting front-line services

•giving patients more say over their treatment

•giving guarantees of quality care for all

•disease prevention

•putting doctors and nurses in charge