Carers’ campaigners say repayments for unlawful overpayments are moving too slowly, with only 2,400 of an estimated 230,900 cases reviewed in five months. The DWP says it is prioritising accuracy and still expects to finish by March 2029.
01Summary
- 01Only 2,400 cases, or 1.04% of an estimated 230,900, had been reviewed in the first five months of the £75m carers allowance reassessment scheme.
- 02Just 100 carers have received full repayments totalling £40,000, while a further 100 had debts reduced by £20,000.
- 03Campaigners say the current pace could mean the exercise takes around 40 years and have urged Andy Burnham and the prime minister to intervene.
- 04The DWP says it remains on track to complete the reassessment by March 2029 and plans to double staff on the project to 250 by next April.
- 05The scheme follows a review by disability rights expert Liz Sayce into unlawful guidance changes that left carers with debts of up to £20,000.
02Why it matters
The delays mean thousands of carers may wait years for debts to be cleared or money returned. That matters because many are still facing financial hardship while the state corrects its own errors.
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