Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Carer benefit debt repayments remain slow five months into review
The UK Department for Work and Pensions is reviewing cases in which unpaid carers were wrongly told they owed benefit debts.
Only 2,400 of about 230,900 cases had been reviewed in the first five months of the scheme, and 100 carers received repayments totalling £40,000.
The cases concern carers wrongly penalised over irregular earnings after officials failed to let them average income from part-time work over a year.
An official review found that a change to DWP guidance in 2020 led carers who thought they were following the rules to face overpayment demands.
Campaigners say the slow pace risks leaving carers waiting for years and want the government to speed up the work.
The DWP says it is prioritising accuracy and expects to finish by March 2029, with plans to double the project staff to 250 by next April.
The Department for Work and Pensions had reviewed 2,400 of an estimated 230,900 carer’s allowance cases in the first five months of its reassessment exercise.
It had repaid £40,000 to 100 carers and reduced another 100 carers’ debts by £20,000.
Campaigners said progress was too slow and urged the government to accelerate the reviews.
The DWP said it prioritised accuracy and remained confident it would complete the exercise by March 2029.
The exercise addresses cases in which carers were wrongly penalised after the department failed to let them average irregular earnings over a year.
- Who
- The Department for Work and Pensions is reviewing cases involving unpaid carers.
- What
- The department has made slow progress reassessing carer’s allowance overpayments and repaying affected carers.
- When
- The first official update covered the first five months of the exercise, launched in April. The article was published on 14 October 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- The reviews address wrongful overpayments after the DWP failed to allow some carers to average irregular earnings over a year.
Campaigners
Department for Work and Pensions
Progress
Campaigners
Campaigners say the review is moving too slowly and carers face lengthy, uncertain waits.
Department for Work and Pensions
The DWP says it has prioritised accuracy over speed and remains confident it will finish on schedule.
Response
Campaigners
Campaigners want a clear plan to accelerate reviews and have called for government leaders to intervene.
Department for Work and Pensions
The DWP plans to double the project’s staffing to 250 by next April.
The Department for Work and Pensions launched the reassessment exercise.
The DWP reviewed 2,400 cases, or 1.04% of its estimated caseload of 230,900.
The Guardian reported the first official update on the exercise.
The DWP plans to double the project’s staff to 250.
The DWP expects to complete the reassessment exercise by this date.
- Cases reviewed
- 2,400, or 1.04% of the estimated caseload
- Estimated caseload
- 230,900 cases
- Full repayments
- £40,000 to 100 carers
- Debt reductions
- £20,000 for a further 100 carers
- Project budget and duration
- £75m over three years
- Planned completion
- March 2029
What people are saying
After years of waiting for justice, only a small number of carers have had their cases reviewed five months into this exercise.
The carer’s allowance scandal didn’t start on his watch, but the failure to put things right is fast becoming a scandal of its own.
Today’s statistics show that reassessments have started slowly and it’s vital that DWP shares both a robust plan for speeding them up, so people trust they will not have prolonged waits for justice.