'We save the government billions - for £2 an hour'

Martyn became Anna's full time carer in November 2023.

A man who cares for his seriously ill wife full-time believes he and others like him are saving the government billions of pounds.

Martyn Barrow, from Eccles, Greater Manchester, has been caring for Anna since she was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2023.

His carers allowance is £81.90 for 35 hours - about £2 per hour - but the 39-year-old said "the job never stops".

The government said it had increased the allowance by £1,500 since 2010.

Anna needs support whenever she is walking.

Carers UK estimates that unpaid carers across the UK save the government £162bn a year.

The couple said they now have ''70% less" money "than before the diagnosis".

Mr Barrow said he had decided to take on the care for his wife because the couple did not want their 18-year-old daughter to have to do it.

"She needs to live her life.

'I'm doing this because I want to take care of my wife," said Mr Barrow.

Mrs Barrow, 39, was diagnosed with MND - a debilitating condition that affects the brain and nerves, and for which there is currently no cure - aged 37 in May 2023.

She said that her husband's caring responsibilities were round the clock, including "when I wake up in the night trapped in my blanket", and in no way limited to 35 hours a week.

Anna and Martyn estimate they have about 70% less money than they did before she was diagnosed.

The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), which supports families across the UK, is calling on the government to increase the unpaid carers allowance.

Kielan Arblaster, from the MNDA, said the allowance "needs to reflect the true value of the care [carers] are giving".

He said a "significant" number of carers work more than 100 hours a week.

The MNDA estimates carers looking after people with MND save health and social care services £185m a year.

A DWP spokesperson said on top of the £1,500 increase in carer's allowance, there was "cost of living support, worth on average £3,800 per household, which remains in place to support those who are particularly struggling".

The spokesperson added: "Our Green paper will also explore whether some people with specific health conditions or disabilities can be taken out of PIP assessments altogether."