MPs have called for a review of Carer’s Allowance as new figures showed rising numbers of benefit overpayments going undetected, The Guardian has reported.
The figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions show 34,500 unpaid carers were overpaid the benefit last year, up from 30,700 in 2022-23.
Carers must provide at least 35 hours of unpaid care a week to be eligible for the £81.90 weekly allowance, and cannot be earning more than £151 a week.
But the allowance can be paid for months to carers who are earning over the threshold, meaning they can later be forced to repay thousands of pounds.
MPs raised the issue at a Westminster Hall debate on Monday, with Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey criticising the Government’s failure to fix the problem, which ministers said they were ‘determined to address’ in 2019.
He said: ‘We need a full-scale review of Carer’s Allowance, and we need it urgently.’
Shadow disability minister Vicky Foxcroft said: ‘The Government needs to urgently investigate the overpayments issue and outline what steps it is taking to ensure it does not happen in the future.’
