Overpayments of Carer’s Allowance

Contents

Terms of reference

Problems in Carer’s Allowance

Preventing future overpayments

Reducing the burden on carers

Listening to concerns

Carer’s Allowance

Allowable deductions

Reason for the inquiry

2 Detecting and recovering overpayments

Concerns about overpayments in CA

Outstanding overpayments of CA

Cause of overpayments

How have overpayments accrued?

Staff shortages

New claims and changes of circumstances

Impact of overpayments on claimants

Recovering overpayments

3 Preventing future overpayments

Universal Credit

4 Reducing the burden on CA claimants

Change of circumstances

Introducing a taper

Fluctuating earnings

Communications with carers

National Living Wage

Small overpayments limit

5 Measuring fraud and error

Department’s understanding of fraud and error in CA

Overall fraud and Error targets

6 Learning lessons

Conclusions and recommendations

Published written evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

Published: 2 August 2019