Unpaid Carers Forced to Repay Thousands in Benefit Overpayments: 'It's Unfair'
Unpaid carers who received Carer's Allowance while working part-time are being asked to repay thousands of pounds due to earning more than the allowance limit in previous years.
Gina Price, who had been caring for her father for a decade before applying in 2013, is one of many affected.
Two former DWP ministers have expressed concern and called for a pause in these demands.
Price was working part-time at a petrol station while caring for her father, who had several health conditions.
She was unaware of the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance and only found out when she was asked to repay the overpaid benefits.
A 59-year-old woman named Ms. Price received Carer's Allowance for approximately five years.
She occasionally worked extra shifts to stay below the earnings threshold and qualify for the benefit.
However, in 2019, she was informed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she owed them around £7,600 due to overpayments from January 2015 to February 2018.
Ms. Price was shocked by the amount and has been repaying £100 monthly since.
She feels it's unfair and has joined other listeners in sharing her story after the topic was discussed on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show.
Full-time carers can receive £81.90 a week in benefits, but if they earn more than £151 a week after tax and expenses, they become ineligible for the full amount.
Some carers were unaware they had exceeded the threshold and accumulated significant debt over the years.
Ms. Price, a carer from Wales, expressed regret for claiming the benefit and described the resulting debt as a heavy burden following her father's death.
Two former DWP ministers have expressed concern and called for a pause in these demands.
Price was working part-time at a petrol station while caring for her father, who had several health conditions.
She was unaware of the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance and only found out when she was asked to repay the overpaid benefits.
A 59-year-old woman named Ms. Price received Carer's Allowance for approximately five years.
She occasionally worked extra shifts to stay below the earnings threshold and qualify for the benefit.
However, in 2019, she was informed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that she owed them around £7,600 due to overpayments from January 2015 to February 2018.
Ms. Price was shocked by the amount and has been repaying £100 monthly since.
She feels it's unfair and has joined other listeners in sharing her story after the topic was discussed on Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show.
Full-time carers can receive £81.90 a week in benefits, but if they earn more than £151 a week after tax and expenses, they become ineligible for the full amount.
Some carers were unaware they had exceeded the threshold and accumulated significant debt over the years.
Ms. Price, a carer from Wales, expressed regret for claiming the benefit and described the resulting debt as a heavy burden following her father's death.
