Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at @CarersUK, welcomes the Government’s plan to end the Carer’s Allowance earnings cliff edge. It’s a long-overdue change that could make a real difference to carers and the families who depend on them. Under the current rules, earning even 1p over the £204 weekly limit can mean losing the entire £86.45 weekly allowance. The Government plans to replace that cliff edge with a gradual taper, deducting £1 of allowance for every £1 earned above the limit. The reform is welcome, though it is not expected to be fully implemented until towards the end of the decade. Around 180,000 carers reportedly built up £300 million in debts between 2019 and 2025 under the existing rules. But, as Emily says, this is only the start. The 2021 Census counted 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, including 1.7 million providing at least 50 hours of care every week. Research by Carers UK and the Centre for Care estimates the value of that unpaid support at £184.3 billion a year. That is an enormous contribution to families, communities and the economy. Yet Carer’s Allowance is just £86.45 a week for someone providing at least 35 hours of care—about £2.47 for each minimum hour. For comparison, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour - over 5x as much. Carer's Allowance remains the lowest benefit of its kind. Carers UK’s 2025 survey found that nearly half of carers had cut back on essentials such as food, heating or transport. - This is shameful for one of the richest countries in the world. A full review of the allowance and wider support is essential. And the need for change reaches beyond financial support for carers. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out plans for a National Care Service, including free personal care for older people based on need rather than ability to pay. Better, reliable social care could help people live with greater dignity and give families the support they need. It could also ease pressure on the NHS, where gaps in care can contribute to avoidable A&E attendances and delays in patients leaving hospital. For too long, families have been left to fill the gaps themselves. Recognising carers, properly supporting them and building a care service people can rely on would be a major step towards a fairer and more compassionate society. This, surely, is what it should mean to be British.