Henry Andrews gave up work to care for his wife

Mr Andrews told the BBC how he has had to give up everything to dedicate himself to caring for his partner.

He said: "I am saving the government between �300-�400 a week to care for her.

"If she had to go in a home it would cost a minimum I'm sure of �500.

"I am saving them all that type of money and I get �40.20 a week".

His partner Stella Bennett said: "In the beginning you get all the help to make you physically as independent as possible which is smashing but then everybody walks away."

Sole breadwinner

Wendy Abbott told BBC News Online how she has cared for her husband Douglas since he had a stroke more than 12 years ago.

It seems to only be in crisis when they [carers] ask for help

Wendy Abbott

Mr Abbott, 61, was left with a paralysed hand and faltering speech following a stroke at the age of 48.

The former self-employed fire sprinkler installer had to spend nine months in a rehabilitation unit in hospital.

Suddenly his wife was his carer and the only breadwinner.

Eventually she had to give up working part-time as a data imputer to care for her husband full-time after he began to have fits.

But she is one of the lucky ones as she does get financial support and there are day centres where her husband can go where they live in Stevenage, in Hertfordshire.

Missing out

However the 57-year-old said many carers do not get the help they need partly because they do not realise what is available.

"You have to know who to ask and what to ask.

"I speak for my husband because he cannot speak for himself.

"There are so many people who are sitting at home but don't come under social services who slip through the net.

"Carers don't realise they are carers. They say it's my husband, wife, daughter, son, father.

"They just think it is their duty. Until they accept they are a carer they won't get the help they need.

"It seems to only be in crisis when they ask for help".