From both sides

Parents and carers of other family members are uniting to demand the support they need to keep going, and to meet the Government's goals for working. Simon Vevers reports A major plank of the Government's social policy has been to get people, particularly lone parents, into work. However, a survey conducted for the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) reveals that one in five carers - whom the Government defines as people aged between 16 and 64 providing unpaid help for sick, disabled or elderly adults -have had to give up or turn down a job because of their family responsibilities.