Scores of carers overpaid more than £20,000 last year despite reforms
The News
Despite reforms introduced over a year ago to address the carer's allowance scandal, new figures show that in 2025-26 there were 32,559 overpayments totaling £33m, with scores of carers asked to repay more than £20,000. The overpayments are attributed to official failures, and hundreds of carers face risk of prosecution. The data suggests that the measures implemented by the Department for Work and Pensions have not fully resolved the systemic issues, leaving unpaid carers financially vulnerable.
Infographic
The Analysis
Intelligence Brief
Analyzed
Despite reforms introduced over a year ago to address the carer's allowance scandal, new figures show that in 2025-26 there were 32,559 overpayments totaling £33m, with scores of carers asked to repay more than £20,000. The overpayments are attributed to official failures, and hundreds of carers face risk of prosecution. The data suggests that the measures implemented by the Department for Work and Pensions have not fully resolved the systemic issues, leaving unpaid carers financially vulnerabl...
Carers face repayment of £20,000+
Carers were asked to repay £33m in 2025-26.
5 claims still need verification.
No forecast extracted yet.
5 unresolved.
Key findings
The overpayments are a result of official failures.
The Guardian- Carers face repayment of £20,000+
- Risk of prosecution exacerbates hardship
Plain English
Loaded language removed<p>DWP brought in measures to tackle carer’s allowance scandal yet in 2025-26 there were 32,559 overpayments</p><p>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.</p><p>New figures showed carers were asked to…
Emotionally neutral rewrite. Same facts, calmer framing.
What's next
This angle has contested claims
Claims
The overpayments are a result of official failures.
The GuardianCarers were asked to repay £33m in 2025-26.
The GuardianThere were 32,559 overpayments of carer's allowance in 2025-26.
The GuardianScores of unpaid carers were hit with demands to repay sums of more than £20,000 last year.
The GuardianHundreds more carers were put at risk of prosecution last year.
The Guardian