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Carer Paid Thousands After Husband's Death
13 Jun
Summary
- Carer received £86.45 weekly benefit for six months post-bereavement.
- DWP agreed to write off overpayment after media inquiry.
- Other carers face similar payment issues due to system flaws.
A former unpaid carer continued to receive over £1,300 in benefits for six months following his husband's death, despite numerous attempts to halt the payments. Chris Farrell, 65, repeatedly informed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop his weekly carer's allowance of £86.45 after his husband passed away.
The DWP has agreed to write off the £1,300 overpayment as an official error, following engagement from the Guardian. Farrell noted that this situation exacerbated his grief and called for the DWP to improve its efficiency in processing changes in claimants' circumstances.
This incident is not isolated; other carers have reported difficulties in stopping benefit payments. Cases include one carer accumulating over £2,000 in unwanted allowances and another facing over £2,650 in overpayments after returning to work. These situations underscore persistent flaws in DWP systems.
Charity Carers UK highlights that these systemic issues cause distress and anxiety for carers, who risk penalties due to the DWP's failure to act promptly on reported changes. An official review last year confirmed DWP backlogs and record-keeping problems contributed to carers receiving overpayment notices.
