Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also urged the UK Government to increase the weekly Carer’s Allowance earnings limit.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has urged the UK Government to “write-off existing overpayments” owed by people on Carer’s Allowance after the Department for Work and Pensions announced a new, independent review into the issue.
Historic overpayments have led to many carers unwittingly racking up unmanageable levels of debt and some quitting their jobs as a result. Latest Benefits News It will focus on how and why such debts were accrued, consider what the department termed operational changes to minimise the risk of overpayment in future, and look at how people with overpayments can best be supported.
While he acknowledged there might be some cases of genuine fraud, he said the DWP “shouldn’t be persecuting tens of thousands of carers whose overpayments were caused by the crazy cliff edge in the current carer’s allowance system, and the DWP’s own incompetence in failing to notify them of overpayment immediately”.
“The Government should also take this opportunity to review and reform the archaic and unfair carer’s allowance system as a whole. Created in the 1970s, it’s just not fit for purpose today.” Employment minister Alison McGovern told the Commons the Labour Government had “inherited a system where busy carers already struggling under a huge weight of responsibility have been left having to repay large sums of overpaid carer’s allowance sometimes worth thousands of pounds, so what is supposed to be a safety net designed to catch those in need has instead felt like it is designed to catch them out”.
DWP Personal Finance Money Worries UK Government Charity
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
DWP and HMRC Carers Allowance change 'to tackle problem'The Government said it was reviewing how to stop carers from being paid too much by the system
Read more »
Unpaid carers urged to check if they can get an extra £2,370 from the DWPCarers UK is concerned that pensioners who are unpaid carers and on low incomes will struggle this winter if they don’t get Pension Credit along with a second top-up called Carer Addition
Read more »
New DWP text message proposal to help unpaid carers avoid benefit overpaymentThe UK Government has also been urged to increase the £151 weekly income threshold.
Read more »
DWP issues major update after carers told to pay back thousands in overpaymentsCarers are unknowingly accruing large amounts of overpayments then being forced to pay them back at a later date
Read more »
Labour MP urges DWP to include Attendance Allowance in Winter Fuel PaymentsLabour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan has urged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to reconsider its decision to exclude Attendance Allowance recipients from Winter Fuel Payments. The change, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, means only pensioners receiving means-tested benefits like Pension Credit will qualify.
Read more »
DWP benefit change update for everyone on PIP, DLA and Carer's AllowanceThe government is moving people off six different benefits and onto Universal Credit in a process known as 'managed migration'. But will other payments be affected?
Read more »