Unpaid carers were pushed into debt and distress and hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money wasted
Ministers are facing calls to apologise and pay compensation to hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers after a damning review of the benefit system revealed some considered suicide to escape their debts.
A report ordered by the government on the longstanding failures within the carer’s allowance found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) inflicted avoidable hardship and distress on carers and led to hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being misused.
The writing off and refunding of potentially hundreds of millions of pounds of overpayments that were issued as a result of flawed and unclear DWP guidance.
An end to the criminal prosecution for fraud of all but the most serious cases.
Ministers should consider a full review of carer’s allowance, an outdated benefit that is “ever less fit for purpose”.
