"Liz Sayce's independent review of the overpayments scandal exposed by the Guardian makes it clear that this benefit, which is mostly claimed by older women, was frequently an afterthought for officials. While Labour has begun to make improvements, there is still no single senior civil servant with overall responsibility for solving problems that have been in the public domain for years."
"Labour deserves credit for ordering this review, and for raising the earnings threshold so that claimants can now earn 196 a week after tax before losing the allowance, which is paid to people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a disabled relative. But ministers and officials have a great deal more work to do. Detail of how outstanding debts totalling 250m will be dealt with has not been announced."
"Reform of the benefit's cliff-edge design which means that claimants whose earnings exceed the limit lose their entire weekly allowance has yet to be proposed, let alone introduced. Then there is the issue of whether hundreds of people who were taken to court at the DWP's urging, and prosecuted for fraud, should have their convictions wiped, or receive some form of compensation."
Thousands of carer's allowance claimants, mostly older women, suffered callous treatment and administrative neglect by the Department for Work and Pensions. An independent review found the benefit was frequently an afterthought for officials, and there remains no single senior civil servant accountable for longstanding problems. Labour raised the earnings threshold so claimants can now earn 196 a week after tax and ordered a review, but details on handling outstanding debts totalling 250m are absent. The benefit's cliff-edge design still stands, and questions remain over whether prosecutions for alleged fraud should be overturned or compensated.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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