By Rosie Anderson BBC Scotland news website

Euan has severe learning difficulties

They contacted BBC Scotland's news website and asked if their daily struggles could be highlighted to the politicians fighting the Holyrood election on 3 May.

There are currently 500,000 unpaid carers in Scotland.

Recently, the Care 21 Report set out a series of measures designed to improve the living standards of unpaid carers.

THE CARERS' STORY

The Anderson's video diary

We are a family of seven - myself Ian, my wife Erika and our five children, one of whom Euan has a severe learning disability.

Erika and Ian want answers from the politicians

The one thing we hear very little of in the present election campaign is the plight of carers.

Erika receives Carers' Allowance of �45.00 a week to care for Euan and she cannot work as he requires attention while he is at home.

Most carers still have to pay for prescriptions, dental and eye care.

As a carer I have heard over and over from various politicians how much they value and appreciate the work and commitment of carers.

But every carer I know is frustrated with battling with an unfair, uncaring system. Every carer I know is fearful of the future. I don't know of any carer who feels valued or appreciated.

The parties have set out their policies on carers.

Scottish Labour's manifesto, which mentions the Care 21 report, has said that the party would increase spending on respite care.

Deputy Minister for Communities Des McNulty added: "I think a need has been addressed in the Care 21 report, but it will involve more than one budget - the social work budget and the health budget to mention two.

"There's a comprehensive spending review later this year and we'll have a continuing to look at that and maybe that will require expansion and an increase in spending, be it from outside or by restructuring within [existing budgets]."

On the subject of the Carers' Allowance, he said: "If you're asking if we're in favour of [devolving responsibility for it to Scotland], we have no immediate plans to change that arrangement."

Care 21's main recommendations are addressed in the Nationalists' manifesto, including a pledge that the party would provide funding for 10,000 additional respite weeks a year.

Health spokesperson, Shona Robison, said: "It's based on �400 per week which equals a respite bed, so it's about �4m for those 10, 000 beds each year.

"We're also giving �5m to young carers and carers' organisations. So it's a total package of �9m for care."

She said that the extra money would come in part from general efficiencies the SNP proposes, including reducing the number of Scotland's government departments from nine to six and a 5% reduction in administration expenses.

In terms of raising the Carers' Allowance rate, Ms Robison said; "Unfortunately that's reserved, but we would like those powers to be devolved."

The Tories health spokesperson, Nanette Milne, said that although the manifesto did not specifically mention unpaid carers, it did not mean the party did not value what carers do.

She added: "Our serious concern is carers' own health and respite care. [But] we do not have a specific financial commitment to respite care provision.

"Since there's nothing in the manifesto I can't say we'll give x amount of money. There isn't anything specifically in the budget, but if we were in a position to implement it we'd draw up costings, obviously."

The party wants to see support for carers coming from "a multiplicity of sources, independent and state".

The Liberal Democrats want to see �1m a year spent on supporting young carers, and another �2.5 m for carers' assessments, which may be ring fenced to ensure they are carried out and acted upon.

Its health spokesman, Euan Robson, added: "Then we'd invest �1.5m in training - we need to beef up training to help them [carers] have confidence in what they're doing."

On the subject of Carers' Scotland's demand for �135m to be spent each year on respite care, Mr Robson said: "It's difficult to quantify a figure for it, because you've got a whole range of respite needs from shopping to a prolonged break."

He believes this might be best delivered through community health centres.

Mr Robson added that the Lib Dems would like to work out a transfer of the Carers' Allowance from Westminster to Scotland.

The party is also looking to extend concessionary travel and the central heating scheme to carers.

The Green policy on carers is to provide more respite care, to improve benefit provision, greater financial and social support and education and training.

Co-convenor Robin Harper said: "What carers need is not weeks of holiday. They want Friday afternoons to go to the shops.

"What [campaign group Carers Scotland] want is �135m per year. I don't think that's an awful lot to find if you look at the entire budget.

"The hospitals are given money every year and they find money for new things. They can make savings here and savings there and we've got a comprehensive spending review later this summer."

Mr Harper responded to some carers' fears that higher car and fuel taxes would deprive them of vehicles many regard as an essential life-line.

He said: "The rural carer who wants to travel should not necessarily feel they'd be unfairly affected by Green Party policy."

The Greens also want to see a carers' champion modelled on the current Children's Commissioner.

The SSP would like to introduce the minimum wage for all full-time carers.

Its health spokesperson, Carolyn Leckie, said: "They're effectively subsidising the state and they should be recognised for the work that they do.

"If you bring them into the employment framework then things like working time directives kick in, so it would give them some rights in that respect.

"Also, it's often assumed that if something's unsafe for a care worker then a relative will do it. Why is that? And if that's the case then training should be a big priority."

Ms Leckie would also like to see a key worker for every case, and introduce a statutory responsibility for health professionals to take carers' assessments into consideration when planning how care is delivered.

She believes the funding for this could be found from scrapping projects such as the M74 extension in Glasgow.

The SSCUP's John Swinburne believes the figure of �135m to meet Scotland's respite care needs is "an underestimation".

He thinks that the extra money needed to cover this could be found from improving council tax collection rates.

Mr Swinburne explained: "Seven per cent of council tax is never collected. But there is no hiding place from PAYE (money taken directly from payroll accounts).

"Therefore, if council tax was collected nationally there'd be an instant saving of that 7%."

He also thinks that this would cover the cost of paying carers an allowance akin to that of fosterers.

Solidarity has a lengthy policy on carers. It says it would prioritise Carers' Allowance for the 150, 000 carers in Scotland who care for more than 50 hours a week.

Solidarity's Hugh Kerr said: "We'd give them [carers] a non-means tested allowance of �100 per week, initially."

He believes the funds for this would come from measures such as scrapping Enterprise Scotland, and also from the current annual Scottish Executive underspend.

Mr Kerr added: "Ideally carers ought to be getting into a trade union, be it a general one or maybe a carers' organisation".

And he said that if carers asked for respite care provision they would get it.