TONY Blair has hit the nail on the head by calling carers the "unsung heroes" of British life. They are.

They spend their time looking after ill or disabled relatives and miss out what most people take for granted - a social life of their own.

But until now they have not been recognised as "heroes" by the Government. Although legislation allowed councils to pay for special help for the disabled and chronically ill, it did not cover the people who cared for them.

That is to change with new laws designed to give carers the help and recognition they deserve.

It will mean that carers could get mobile phones and the cost of taxi fares home and grants to allow them to have weekend breaks, holidays or regular time off.

These are steps in the right direction, but Mrs Joyce Hutchinson highlights another problem for carers.

She points out, rightly, that carers' long term security still needs safeguarding.

Mrs Hutchinson says that many carers can face losing their income, home and car, as soon as their loved one dies.

So carers do not only have to cope with grief, but with financial problems as well.

It is a vary valid point that needs addressing. As Mrs Hutchinson says, this new legislation should only be the beginning. There is still a long way to go.

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