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Carers

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. I am not surprised by that figure, as there is a total of £740 million of unclaimed carers’ benefits. The result is that many carers fall into poverty. A third are in debt, a third cannot afford to pay some of their utility bills, while another third cannot afford essential repairs to their homes. We need to recognise that, just as there is a direct link between disability and poverty, so there can also be a direct link between caring responsibilities and poverty.