Thanks to carer’s allowance, anyone providing at least 35 hours of care a week to a severely disabled person is entitled to a payment worth £4331.60 annually. Half a million carers – around half of those in receipt of carer’s allowance – are struggling to make ends meet. While far from the only source of dysfunction, the tax system is responsible for some of the starkest illustrations of state failure. THANK YOU CloseThese products of the tax system are not only visible symbols of dysfunction; they are also eminently fixable. The tapers that exist elsewhere in the tax system, such as for those in receipt of child benefit, could also be markedly improved while protecting the Exchequer’s bottom line.