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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Patrick Butler Social policy editor

DWP chief accused of overseeing ‘culture of complacency’ that led to carer’s allowance scandal

Carer pushing elderly woman in wheelchair
Hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers were saddled with overpayments running into thousands of pounds as a result of DWP shortcomings. Photograph: HighwayStarz/Getty Images

The government’s most senior welfare official has been accused of presiding over a “culture of complacency” that led to thousands of unpaid carers inadvertently running up huge benefit debts.

Debbie Abrahams, the chair of the work and pensions select committee, said the Department for Work and Pensions had repeatedly failed to prioritise vulnerable people, was unwilling to learn from its mistakes, and was slow to fix errors.

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