Cloverleaf Advocacy and Advocacy Awareness Week 2023 logo

Call us on: 01924 454875

Easy Read

Accessibility

MENU menu

Close close menu

Carers UK issue report into Carers Allowance Overpayments

30/07/2024

 

This week, Carers UK issued a report revealing the extent of Carer’s Allowance overpayments in the UK. Many unpaid carers across the country have been plunged into financial hardship by unknowingly receiving Carer’s Allowance overpayments and being forced to repay them. 

 

The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is £151 per week and exceeding this limit by just a few pence means carers must repay 100% of their Carer’s Allowance for that week, which is £81.90 at the 2024/25 rate. The report reveals that a staggering 134,800 carers have overpayment debt totalling £251 million. 

 

Following Carers UK's robust campaign against the overpayment scandal, Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, has agreed to meet with Carers UK and a group of unpaid carers later today to hear firsthand about their experiences. 

 

Carers UK proposes the following recommendations to the DWP: 

Suzi Henderson, CEO of Cloverleaf Advocacy, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened to see the extent of the impact on unpaid carers, who have worked tirelessly each day to care for friends and loved ones and have given up so much of their own lives. It is completely unacceptable and is a huge burden on top of the many financial and emotional challenges unpaid carers already experience daily.” 

 

To read the read in full visit: Carer’s Allowance overpayment report | Carers UK 

 

Carers UK are calling for those who have been affected by the carer overpayments scandal to fill out a survey sharing their experiences, so they can put together a dossier of carer’s experiences. If you haven’t yet filled out the survey, please share your experiences today: Survey on unpaid carers' experiences of Carer’s Allowance overpayment in relation to earnings (surveymonkey.com) 

 

 

Carers UK issue report into Carers Allowance Overpayments