The DWP is continuing to persecute carer’s allowance claimants, even as it begins a review of 200,000 potential overpayments cases caused by its own failures.
Yesterday, the DWP announced that over 200,000 carers allowance overpayments cases that took place between 10 April 2015 and 2 September 2025 and which were affected by incorrect guidance on how to average fluctuating earnings, would be reviewed. The DWP expect that around 25,000 claimants could see their debts reduced, cancelled entirely, or receive refunds where money has already been repaid. The review is expected to take two years to complete.
However, the Guardian, which fought a long-running campaign in support of carers, points out that in the meantime the DWP is continuing to pursue those same claimants for debts and is doing nothing for claimants whose overpayments arose due to other failings by the department.
In January 2026, the DWP rushed out 1,400 demands for repayment of overpayments caused by averaging rules, even though they knew that those same rules had now been found to be unlawful. Many of the affected claimants are likely to be repaid any sums they are currently being forced to hand over to the DWP. In total, 22,500 more overpayment notices have been issued since the Sayce review was published.
And the current review will not help anyone whose alleged overpayment was caused by other failings on the part of the DWP, such as the department losing evidence that individual claimants had reported a change in their earnings which the DWP had failed to act on at the time.
Many within the DWP do not accept the conclusion of the Sayce review that the agency’s leadership was at fault for causing, and then failing to fix, many of the problems with carer’s allowance.
Neil Couling, director general of DWP services, published a blog post after the conclusions of the Sayce report were released, in which he insisted that it was essentially claimants’ own fault that they had ended up in such distress. This is in spite of the fact that carers had been pushed into poverty, sickness and even criminalised because of DWP failings that the department knew were happening.
Couling later took the post down, but it leaves behind the impression that those at the top of the DWP still have little remorse for their failings and even less regard for the people they are meant to support.
Yesterday’s DWP press release reassures carers that “Further information for affected carers is available: Contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit.”
However, following that link leads to a notice stating:
“Carer’s Allowance overpayments
“DWP are reassessing Carer’s Allowance overpayments that took place between 10 April 2015 and 2 September 2025.
“If you’ve been affected, you may get a refund or your debt reduced or cancelled.
“You do not need to contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit about a reassessment. DWP will contact you with a decision or if they need more information.”
In other words: further information isn’t available, we won't tell you anything, so don’t bother contacting us.
At the DWP, it seems, nothing ever really changes.
