[RichardCoulter]

If his daughter is on the middle or high rate care component of DLA or PIP at either of the only two rates now available with the new benefit and he cares for his daughter for 35 hours a week or more, he is entitled to claim Carers Allowance of £61.35 per week.

Do bear in mind though:

- If he were to refuse to look after his daughter, it would cost the state much, much more.

- Someone who is out of work gets £72.40 a week on Jobseekers Allowance as opposed to £61.35 for being a carer.

- Carers Allowance is taxable and taken into account in full for the purposes of calculating means tested benefits, which erodes even this modest amount.

- Even if he were to do the bare minimum number of hours required to receive Carers Allowance (35) he is still receiving only £1.75 an hour. The more time he spends on caring activities, the more this hourly rate is further eroded. When you take into account that the National Minimum wage is £6.50, we don't seem to be getting a bad deal as taxpayers do we?

You have no way of of knowing what he does in the privacy of his own home, so should not really be making assumptions.

Carers help this country a tremendous amount by working for a pittance or even for free; the only safe assumption that we can make is that as a country we take advantage of them.