Ministers have announced an overhaul of the way carer’s allowance overpayments are checked in an attempt to fix the failing system which has left thousands with life-changing debts,fines and criminal records.
In a significant policy change, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been ordered to hire extra staff to investigate 100% of the carer’s allowance earnings breach alerts it receives and swiftly notify carers if they are at risk of falling into debt.
Last year, the Guardian revealed that for the last six years, the DWP has chosen to investigate just 50% of alerts on cost grounds – even though this has led to huge numbers of carers unknowingly accruing massive overpayments.
Campaig...
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