I introduced a range of measures in the 1999 budget, at an additional annual cost of over £18 million, to improve and develop the position of carers. These measures, which are set out below, were based on a detailed examination of the review of the carer's allowance, which I published in October 1998.
The main improvements include: the extension of the carer's allowance to carers of children in receipt of a domiciliary care allowance (DCA); the extension of the carer's allowance to carers of all people between 16 and 65 who require full-time care and attention; an annual payment of £200 as a contribution towards respite care to all qualified carers; the extension of the free telephone rental allowance to all qualified carers; the relaxation of the residency conditions for receipt of carer's allowance; the relaxation of the full-time care and attention conditions for receipt of carer's allowance; the amendment of the means test to give carers income disregards in their own right; the introduction of measures to ensure that carers' social insurance records are preserved; the extension of the free travel scheme to all qualified carers.