The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has threatened an unpaid carer with court proceedings over an an accidental breach of carer’s allowance earnings rules.
As originally found in an investigation by the Guardian, the DWP paid £2,600 of overpayments over 10 months to 43-year-old former NHS psychologist Clemency Jacques.
Jacques cares for her disabled son and elderly mother and accidentally breached the Carer’s Allowance working due to her failure to notify officials that she had returned to work after maternity leave.
“I apologised and said it was a complete mistake,” she told the Guardian. “But the interview process is designed to be as cold and dehumanising as possible, focusing on trying to prove my guilt, trying to catch me out with every statement I made.”
Jacques’ case was taken up by her then-MP Caroline Lucas earlier this year, who asked the DWP to review its benefits decision.
This led to various meetings between ministers and charities about the issue, with the government promising a plan to “put things right”.
Lucas described Jacques’ treatment by officials as “disproportionate and inhumane”.
The 2021 census estimated that there are around five million unpaid carers like Jacques in the UK, a number that has likely risen since then. Here’s what you need to know about the Carer’s Allowance and if you might be eligible.
How much is the Carer’s Allowance?
The Carer’s Allowance is designed to financially support those who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone with an illness or disability. It is paid at a rate of £81.90 per week as of 2024/25.
In the case of Jacques, the DWP complaints team maintains that it had followed the correct processes and taken “reasonable, necessary and proportionate” actions.
In a statement, it stated further that it was not its intention “to cause claimants any undue distress” but had a “responsibility to protect public funds and preserve public trust”.
Official data shows that 119 Carer’s Allowance cases have gone to court in the last two years.
Any carer who exceeds a weekly £151 earnings limit must repay the whole £81.90 allowance, meaning that earning £1 more than the threshold for 52 weeks would result in repayments of £4,258.80.
The most recent data shows that in 2023, 134,500 unpaid carers were repaying a cumulative total of £251m in earnings-related overpayments.
Rules for claiming the Carer’s Allowance
You may be eligible to claim Carer’s Allowance if all the following apply:
• You look after someone for at least 35 hours a week• You don’t earn more than £151 per week (after deductions including tax, national insurance and certain expenses)• The person you care for receives a disability benefit• You’re aged 16 or over• You’re not in full-time education• You meet UK residence and presence conditions and UK immigration conditions
