FeG: "I have every sympathy for both carers and those who have lost their jobs but I am not sure where to best place my sympathies here?"

Place your sympathies with those who are Carers AND who also have to work too, because they cannot survive on Carer's Allowance alone. They are allowed to earn a certain amount and not one single penny more, thus making a job even more hard to find, as so many jobs want flexible hours. Please refer to the Carer's Association site for any further confusions you may have.