by Paul Lewis BBC Radio 4's Money Box

Most pensioners who care for relatives or friends will not gain from improvements to carers' benefits which begin on Monday.

Under the new rules carers over 65 can now claim a weekly benefit called Invalid Care Allowance which is �42.45 a week.

Previously no-one aged 65 or more could claim invalid care allowance for the first time, though if they claimed before that age it could continue to be paid.

But most carers over 65 will not be any better off even if they do now successfully claim the care allowance.

That is because most will already get a retirement pension worth at least as much - and ICA cannot be paid on top of retirement pension.

"Unjust"

Marianne looks after her husband Joseph who has had a stroke.

She told the BBC's Money Box programme "I look after my husband 24 hours a day, as do many people and they are mainly women.

"The Government proudly tells us that the Invalid Care Allowance will be extended to people aged 65 and over.

"But in the small print it says - not if you get your full retirement pension. That hardly seems fair. What have I been paying in for all these years? It is grossly unjust."

Overlapping benefit rule

MP Peter Bradley raised the issue of people in Marianne's position in the House of Commons this week.

But Disability Minister Maria Eagle replied the government had no plans to change the rules.

"It is a basic principle of the Social Security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for income maintenance. This is known as the overlapping benefit rule...

"State pension is an income replacement benefit for people who have reached retirement age."

Carer's premium

Some other changes may benefit older people.

People over 65 on a limited income will now be able to claim an extra �24.80 carer's premium on top of their income support (minimum income guarantee).

And in future, those who do get ICA will not lose it the moment the person they care for dies. It will now continue for eight weeks.

The changes are the latest stage in improvements for carers which the Government says will cost �500m over three years.

From April 2003 Invalid Care Allowance will be renamed Carer's Allowance.

To qualify for Invalid Care Allowance you must give at least 35 hours a week care to someone who gets Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (at the higher or middle rate) and you must earn less than �72 a week.