'People can't afford to stay on' says Kettering carer

A man who became the carer of someone he met on an allotment said the profession struggled to retain staff because it was undervalued.

Peter New volunteered for the role after meeting Andrew, a 39-year-old with autism, who had been struggling with unreliable carers.

He said: "Care as an industry is massively undervalued. It doesn't work at the minute because people can't afford to stay."

Following concern over challenges including staffing and financial pressures, the government said an extra £2.8bn would be available for adult social care next year and £4.7bn the following year.

This included delaying the cap on social care costs, allowing councils to increase council tax by up to 5% and £1bn of extra funding next year, followed by £1.7bn the year after, it added.

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