The consumer champion called for an end to the ‘cliff-edge’ of the £151 weekly earnings limit. Martin Lewis is calling for a change to Carer’s Allowance after it emerged nearly 135,000 people have an outstanding debt due to overpayments of the benefit. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed that a total of £251 million is due to be repaid by 134,800 current or previous Carer’s Allowance claimants.
Posting on social media on Monday, the consumer champion called for an end to the “Carer’s Allowance cliff-edge” saying it is a “scandal” that people providing 35 hours of weekly unpaid care for “vulnerable loved ones” must repay the money “just for slipping a quid or two over the max earnings threshold”, which is now £151 each week. The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com added that “ending the clawback is important” but called for an end to the cliff-edge too as almost every other DWP benefit are calculated using a taper rate, so that if someone earns over the threshold, the benefit doesn’t immediately end, but gradually reduces.
He added: “With Carer’s Allowance, a penny over and you get nowt. This is simply stupid and should be stopped. “Carers are a backbone of the UK, saving the state & NHS billions.
The £82/wk allowance is pitifully low, at the very least we should end the cliff-hanger so work pays.” Women make up the majority of Carer’s Allowance claims, and this is reflected in the proportion of those with an.
