Source: The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader [REBECCA RICHARDSON]

THE nation's 2.5million-plus carers save the Federal Government huge amounts of money each year but receive next to nothing in return.

Charles Hamilton, 58, of Taren Point, who cared for his elderly mother for 16 years, estimates the Government owes him $20,000 in unpaid annual and long-service leave for his duties.

During that time he was made redundant from his job as an airline technical photographer and, although he was receiving income from Centrelink, was not eligible for a concession card.

He said Centrelink told him that leave reimbursement for carers was simply "not in the legislation'' and to contact his local MP with his concerns.

"We've got the Government employing all these carers and, in the end, there's no holiday pay to have a well-deserved holiday,'' Mr Hamilton said.

Federal MP Annette Ellis, who is chairing a parliamentary inquiry into the needs of carers, said the recent federal budget allocated an extra $822million for carers, including $428.1million for bonus payments to the nation's 430,000-plus eligible carers.

But Joan Hughes, CEO of Carers Australia, said that impressive-sounding figures were not always in context.

"A person who receives the maximum amount of carer payment, plus the carer allowance, plus both bonuses, plus the utilities allowance, is living off less than $19,000 per year,'' she said.

Pam Webster, president of Carers Australia, said the group hoped the parliamentary enquiry would see some answers for financially struggling carers.

"The Government should use some of the surplus to implement a superannuation scheme and pay, say, 9percent of the minimum wage.

"When people are forced to give up work, not only do they lower their income, they [can't] save for their future.''

Ms Webster said when carers ceased their duties, often after a long period, they found it difficult to re-enter the workforce and had no money to fall back on.

That is the position Mr Hamilton said he found himself in.

"They've just discarded me,'' he said.

"They've given bereavement allowance, but where does that go if you've lost all discounts for running the house?

"I was really disappointed my blood boiled.''