The UK Government have responded to the Carer’s Allowance overpayments review recommendations.
Summary
The UK government has accepted some recommendations from the independent Sayce Review, which looked into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance. They will review hundreds of thousands of past cases (from 2015–2025) where carers were forced to repay money.
It concluded that confusing guidance on how to “average earnings” meant many carers unintentionally breached income limits and unfairly subjected to Carers Allowance overpayment requests. Therefore, debts may be reduced or written off entirely and repayments already made could be refunded.
Carers UK
Carers UK cover the GOV UK announcement on their website entitled ‘Unprecedented changes for carers as Government responds to Carer’s Allowance overpayments review recommendations‘
Carers UK Summary
- Government has said it will reassess cases dating back to 2015.
- Where averaging of earnings payments could have been lower, Government will repay or write off debt, including where money has been repaid in full.
- Carers UK’s evidence and dossier of over 100 carers’ experiences of overpayments feel vindicated.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said:
It’s a landmark day today for the carers’ movement now that the Government has responded to the Independent Review of overpayments by Liz Sayce OBE.
The move to reassess cases and repay or write off debt in certain circumstances is unprecedented in our view, a righting of a clear wrong. It is addressing this injustice head on.
We have raised this scandal of overpayments since 2018, repeatedly highlighting a catalogue of issues faced by carers which caused huge emotional and financial distress and immense hardship for some.
This Government acted quickly, agreeing to a visit with Carers UK and carers within weeks of coming to power for us to present our dossier of hundreds of carers’ experiences to Ministers and now has taken decisive action to redress many of the issues outlined.
N.B. This has been covered by mainstream media outlets i.e. The Guardian etc
MEA Comment
The government’s decision to accept key recommendations from the Sayce review on Carer’s Allowance overpayments is a long overdue step towards justice for unpaid carers. For families affected by ME/CFS or Long Covid, many of whom rely on low paid, flexible work, it is vital that debts created by unclear rules are corrected; not quietly written off without accountability.
We will be watching closely to see how quickly overpayments are reviewed, how carers are treated, and whether this leads to a clearer, fairer system that properly values unpaid care.
Ella Smith
Welfare Rights Consultant,
The ME Association
