As of May 14, there were 42,800 men and 91,900 women with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that by May 14, 2024, nearly 135,000 people had an outstanding debt due to overpayments of Carer’s Allowance. Pensions Minister Paul Maynard said that a total of £251 million is due to be repaid by 134,800 current or previous claimants of the benefit.
He explained: “This figure represents the total stock and as such the total monetary amount may have been accrued over multiple years. Those who have an outstanding Carer's Allowance debt may no longer be in receipt of the benefit.” Women make up the majority of Carer’s Allowance claims, and this is reflected in the proportion of those with an outstanding Carer’s Allowance debt.
As of May 14, there were 42,800 (32%) men, 91,900 (68%) women and 100 (less than 1%) not identified, with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt. The latest DWP figures show there were over 991,000 people in receipt of Carers Allowance at the end of November 2023. That figure is made up of over 271,000 (27%) men and 720,000 (73%) women.
Carer’s Allowance is now worth £81.90 each week and the weekly earnings limit to ensure eligibility for the benefit is £151. The Work and Pensions Committee has called on the DWP to urgently improve how it monitors and communicates Carer’s Allowance overpayments, warning that there has not been progress in limiting the impact of the problems faced by many u.
