"It cannot be right that the government is still hounding carers for repayments, long after this scandal was exposed and even after we secured an independent review, but before anything has been done to put things right, Davey said. An independent inquiry into carer's allowance headed by the disability policy expert Liz Sayce was ordered by the government in December."
"Sayce presented its findings to ministers three months ago but it is unclear when the government will publish her report or its formal response. The government needs to pause repayments now, publish the review's findings without further delay, and get on with fixing the system so it actually works for carers, Davey said."
"A Liberal Democrat amendment to the government's fraud and error bill to be debated in the Lords next week calls on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop pursuing carers' repayments until the government's plans to reform the benefit are implemented. Lord Palmer, the Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson in the Lords who laid the amendment, said it was wrong unpaid carers were continuing to be unfairly punished by a system that was clearly not working."
Thousands of unpaid carers face repayment demands and penalties because of chronic failures in the design and administration of carer's allowance, creating large debts and some prosecutions. A major investigation revealed hundreds of thousands were affected. The government promised reform a year ago but has not implemented changes, while campaigners report fresh repayment demands each week. An independent inquiry led by Liz Sayce presented findings to ministers three months ago, yet the report and the government's formal response remain unpublished. Liberal Democrats are urging an immediate pause on repayments and have tabled a legislative amendment to halt DWP recovery action until reforms are implemented.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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