Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Carer's allowance penalties trap many in debt: report

As many as 600 carers are even facing criminal prosecution

care workers

New report exposed a system that has pushed vulnerable carers into financial and emotional turmoil. (Photo for representation: iStock)

HUNDREDS of thousands of unpaid carers have been hammered by harsh penalties for minor rule breaches, a damning national audit has revealed.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report exposed a system that has pushed vulnerable carers into financial and emotional turmoil.


According to the report, over 262,000 overpayments totalling £325 million were clawed back, with 600 carers even facing criminal prosecution.

The most shocking detail is the brutal "cliff-edge" earnings rule: earning just £1 over the £151 weekly threshold can trigger a repayment of £4,258.80 instead of just £52. Currently, 134,500 carers are struggling to repay over £251 million in debt.

Critically, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have deliberately understaffed its carer's allowance unit. Only half of electronic alerts identifying potential overpayments were investigated, with staff numbers cut by 14 per cent in two years.

Vivienne Groom, a former carer who was prosecuted and had a £16,000 inheritance seized, condemned the system. "They need to stop," she said. "I feel sorry for people who might lose their house or car."

Helen Walker from Carers UK described it as a "serious failure" causing immense distress, while Dominic Carter from Carers Trust called the system "broken".

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called it "a scandal of the DWP's own making" that has caused "misery and distress on a staggering scale".

The average family carer – often already in poverty – repays nearly £1,000 in overpayments annually. Some cases have accrued over £20,000 in undetected breaches.

The DWP, however, maintains that legally, claimants must inform them of eligibility changes. However, ministers have now launched an independent review due next summer to investigate why overpayments spiralled and how to protect carers.

Social security minister Stephen Timms acknowledged the challenges, promising to boost the earnings threshold to help over 60,000 people and "make the system fairer".

More For You

Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mandelson-Getty

Starmer dismissed Mandelson on Thursday after reading emails published by Bloomberg in which Mandelson defended Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Minister says Mandelson should never have been appointed

A CABINET minister has said Peter Mandelson should not have been made UK ambassador to the US, as criticism mounted over prime minister Keir Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

Douglas Alexander, the Scotland secretary, told the BBC that Mandelson’s appointment was seen as “high-risk, high-reward” but that newly revealed emails changed the situation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nepal-unrest-Getty

Army personnel patrol outside Nepal's President House during a curfew imposed to restore law and order in Kathmandu on September 12, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Nepal searches for new leader after 51 killed in protests

Highlights:

  • Nepal’s president and army in talks to find an interim leader after deadly protests
  • At least 51 killed, the deadliest unrest since the end of the Maoist civil war
  • Curfew imposed in Kathmandu, army patrols continue
  • Gen Z protest leaders demand parliament’s dissolution

NEPAL’s president and army moved on Friday to find a consensus interim leader after anti-corruption protests forced the government out and parliament was set on fire.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK weather alert 80mph winds

Winds could reach 70–80mph in the most exposed coastal areas

iStock

Met Office issues weekend alert as UK braces for 80mph winds

Highlights:

  • Met Office issues yellow warning from 8pm Sunday to 6pm Monday
  • Winds could reach 70–80mph in the most exposed coastal areas
  • Travel disruption and risk of falling debris expected
  • Residents urged to secure outdoor items ahead of stormy conditions

Strong winds expected across southern and western UK

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning ahead of the weekend, with winds of up to 80mph forecast to affect large parts of the UK. The alert will be in place from 8pm on Sunday until 6pm on Monday.

The warning covers much of west and southwest England and Wales, along with the entire southern coast of England. It also extends up the west coast towards Manchester. Gusts of 60mph are likely inland, rising to 70–80mph in exposed coastal areas and hilltops.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlie Kirk assassination: Manhunt, misinformation and a country unravelling

Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah Valley University

Getty Images

Charlie Kirk assassination: Manhunt, misinformation and a country unravelling

Highlights:

  • Charlie Kirk, 31, shot dead at Utah Valley University during a student event; shooter still at large.
  • FBI falsely announced an arrest, later retracting the claim, raising questions about investigation handling.
  • Retired Canadian Michael Mallinson wrongly accused online as the shooter; misinformation spread rapidly on social media.
  • Security at the event was minimal, with no bag checks.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a student event at Utah Valley University has left the nation shaken and investigators scrambling. The 31-year-old was fatally shot in the neck while answering questions under a campus tent, in what officials are calling a sniper-style attack. The shooter remains at large, and the aftermath has exposed investigative missteps, rampant misinformation, and a dangerous level of political vitriol that threatens to push an already polarised America closer to the edge.

Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah Valley University Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less