Between 2021-24 there were over 6,500 carers allowance overpayment breaches referred to the Department for Communities debt management.
Unpaid carers in Northern Ireland are facing a multi-million pound bill due to benefit overpayments which "will push many into acute financial hardship".
There are currently around 48,000 unpaid carers in Northern Ireland who provide at least 35 hours of care for a sick or disabled loved one."People are allowed to bring in a small amount of extra income and still keep their carers allowance payments, that earnings cap at the minute is £151 per week," Mr Harrison.
"The earning rules can be very difficult to stay on top of when you're already leading a life that is hectic due to unpaid caring. When asked if he believed the overpayments had been caused intentionally or inadvertently, Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said: "The scale of it and the extent of it would suggest to me that this is as a result of a system that is not functioning properly.
Carers Rights Carers Benefits Cap Benefits
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