Revealed: DWP still allowing unpaid carers to run up debts despite being told about overpayments

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been criticized for continuing to pay benefits to an unpaid carer for six months after his husband's death, potentially leaving him with over £1,300 in debt. Chris Farrell, 65, who had cared for his late husband for four years, made repeated attempts to halt the £86.45 weekly carer's allowance payments.

Farrell's experience highlights a systemic failure within the DWP to process cancellations promptly. His situation is not isolated; another carer reported similar struggles, having contacted the DWP five times via phone and online forms to stop payments after taking on new employment. This carer also faces accumulating unwanted benefits, with one individual accumulating over £2,000.

These cases raise serious concerns about the DWP's administrative efficiency and its impact on vulnerable individuals. The inability to easily cancel benefits, even when explicitly requested and when eligibility ceases, can lead to significant financial distress and bureaucratic hurdles for those who have already experienced loss or significant life changes. The Guardian reports that such overpayments could lead to substantial debts for those affected.

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get their act together