Scores of carers overpaid more than £20,000 last year despite reforms

DWP brought in measures to tackle carer’s allowance scandal yet in 2025-26 there were 32,559 overpayments

Scores of unpaid carers were hit with demands to repay sums of more than £20,000 and hundreds more put at risk of prosecution last year as a result of official failures in what appear to be continuing problems with carer’s allowance.

New figures showed carers were asked to repay £33m in 2025-26 as a result of 32,559 overpayments, despite the introduction of measures over a year ago designed specifically to prevent carers falling foul of the system.