Britons who spend a lot of time caring for someone should be better looked after by the government, Carers UK has urged.

Steven McIntosh, policy and public affairs officer at the charity, said that carers have reduced incomes while they are employed because they often need to take time off from full-time jobs.

He added that government support for such people should be extended into retirement.

"Caring can bring a whole range of penalties from ill-health to isolation and often financial hardship as the result of giving up work early on, living on low-level benefits, but also from the additional cost of caring," Mr McIntosh explained.

"So it’s really important they get a better deal from the next government."

The comments come after an announcement from the Department for Work and Pensions suggested that carers may be able to build up a state pension on the basis of their NI contributions.

Although pensions are a traditional form of retirement funding, in recent years equity release has emerged as a popular alternative.