The struggles faced by individuals seeking Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have reached critical levels, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announcing that appeal processes can now take up to 13 months.

DWP PIP appeal backlog

The backlog, which has grown alarmingly in recent months, stands as a significant barrier for those already facing challenges due to disabilities or long-term health conditions. In a recent statement, DWP minister Stephen Timms revealed that there are currently 8,900 appeals in progress, an indication of the strained system that many vulnerable claimants must navigate.

Timms elaborated on the challenges in the appeal process, noting:

Although we hold information on the time between initial disallowance and appeal hearing, DWP is not solely responsible for this wait time.

Instead, the delay is exacerbated by the involvement of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), which can contribute to lengthy wait periods. Of course, the problems at HMCTS stem from years of government cuts. 

Notably, the median wait time for appeals lodged in December 2023 was reported at an alarming 42 weeks, a time frame that underscores the systemic issues facing claimants whose livelihoods depend on timely benefits.

Under scrutiny

The DWP has been under intense scrutiny for its handling of the PIP appeal system, particularly as many claimants feel abandoned amid escalating financial pressures. According to recent data, the number of individuals claiming PIP has surged to an unprecedented 3.7 million.

With new claims prioritised over award reviews, those already reliant on these benefits are left in precarious situations as they await decisions that should provide critical support.

The appeal process for PIP can be complicated, requiring claimants to first seek a Mandatory Reconsideration—a request for the DWP to re-evaluate its decision. Unfortunately, reports indicate that these reviews now take nearly double the time compared to the previous year, highlighting the inadequacies within the DWP’s structure.

In July 2024, the average clearance time for such reconsiderations had ballooned to 71 days, up from only 37 days in December 2023.

On top of the long waits, the DWP itself has once again shown to be not fit for purpose.

DWP PIP claimants: winning against the department

More than half win their case before an independent tribunal, as recent figures show that the DWP is increasingly inclined to concede appeals before the hearing stage. This shift suggests a recognition on the part of the DWP leadership of their flawed decision-making, but it raises unsettling questions about the burden placed on individuals to fight for their livelihoods.

Issues extend beyond just appeals. The DWP has acknowledged potential backlogs extending into years, particularly for PIP reviews, raising alarms about the long-term implications for those whose health needs remain unassessed and unsupported.

According to estimates, some claimants might wait up to ten years before receiving necessary evaluations, jeopardising their well-being and financial stability.

Furthermore, the DWP’s handling of PIP appeals has come under fire for its inefficiency. Reports indicate that during the 2023/2024 financial year, over £50 million was spent on resources to uphold PIP decisions, while 69% of appeals that reached tribunal hearings were won by claimants.

Critics argue that such expenditures reveal a misguided focus on contesting fair claims rather than a commitment to supporting disabled individuals.

An absolute shambles

To navigate the complex DWP PIP appeal landscape, claimants are advised to seek assistance from local services like Citizens Advice, where they can receive crucial guidance and representation. The DWP’s convoluted bureaucracy can often be overwhelming, but with the help of knowledgeable advocates, many can successfully assert their rights.

The situation paints a troubling picture of a government struggling to support some of its most vulnerable citizens.

The growing backlog of appeals not only highlights systemic failings within the DWP but also brings to light the broader societal implications of neglecting the needs of disabled individuals and their families.

As calls for reform grow louder, it is clear that immediate action is required to address these failures and restore faith in a system meant to provide essential support.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has trumpeted its supposed triumph in “blocking over £1 billion in incorrect and fraudulent payments” hailing this as part of a broader effort to “protect people from falling into debt.”

But while the government spins this as a success, the announcement is less a cause for celebration and more a sobering reminder of how disastrously broken the welfare system has become.

Rather than demonstrating excellence, this news simply exposes the DWP’s chronic failure to do its job properly in the first place — and its continued reliance on punitive narratives that scapegoat the poorest people for its own systemic failings.

The DWP: fixing a problem of its own making

Let’s be clear: preventing incorrect payments, whether due to fraud or administrative error, is not a shiny new innovation — it’s the DWP’s basic responsibility. That over £1 billion in errors could occur in the first place is a damning indictment of how the department has historically been run. This isn’t some groundbreaking policy triumph; it’s damage control. The figure should raise alarm, not applause. After all, if a system is vulnerable enough to risk hemorrhaging a billion pounds, something is fundamentally rotten — and has been for some time.

But instead of admitting this, the DWP dresses up its basic obligation as if it were an extraordinary feat. The tone of the press release is one of misplaced self-congratulation: a slick public relations exercise designed to distract from years of chaos, mismanagement, and cruelty inflicted on claimants.

The fraud narrative: a convenient distraction

This “achievement” also relies heavily on the department’s ongoing crusade against so-called “benefit fraud,” an issue that has been wildly overstated for political gain.

Fraud is actually miniscule: the DWP itself has acknowledged in the past that the majority of benefit overpayments arise from honest mistakes. These are often made by claimants navigating a labyrinthine system that is neither transparent nor accessible.

Yet, rather than simplifying processes or providing better support, the DWP has invested heavily in surveillance, data-matching technologies, and AI tools to scrutinise claimants with an intensity that borders on dystopian. In doing so, it perpetuates a toxic narrative: that those in need of state support are inherently suspect.

This fuels public resentment, creating division and eroding solidarity — all while doing little to address the root causes of poverty.

Protecting whom, exactly?

The department’s claim that blocking incorrect payments “protects people from falling into debt” is especially galling. If the DWP were genuinely concerned about preventing debt, it would be addressing the:

• Draconian sanctions regime.
• Five-week wait for Universal Credit.
• Woefully inadequate benefits levels that force many into rent arrears, food banks, and payday loans.

In reality, overpayments are most often discovered after the fact, leading to the clawing back of funds from individuals already struggling to survive. These so-called “debts” — often the result of bureaucratic delay or miscommunication — are ruthlessly pursued by the DWP. It ends up pushing claimants deeper into precarity.

There is no meaningful effort to assess the impact of these repayments on people’s mental health, family stability, or basic well-being.

The idea that this initiative is a protective measure is not just misleading — it is grotesque.

A record of harm, not help, at the DWP

If the DWP is to be judged on its record, then its litany of failures speaks for itself.

From the botched rollout of Universal Credit to countless reports of benefits being stopped for arbitrary reasons, and thousands upon thousands of claimants deaths on its watch – the department has presided over a decades of austerity-driven reforms that have inflicted untold misery on the most vulnerable.

It has overseen systems that disproportionately harm disabled people, single parents, and those with fluctuating health conditions. It has criminalised poverty. And it has treated claimants with suspicion rather than dignity.

For example, just on Monday 2 June a coroner ruled that the DWP had a direct hand in disabled woman Jodey Whiting taking her own life – after the department stopped her benefits.

Yet now it expects credit for finally plugging leaks it allowed to fester for years? This is not progress. This is spin.

The bar is on the floor

Ultimately, this announcement reveals the depressingly low standards to which the DWP holds itself. Blocking overpayments should never be headline news. It should be the baseline. If a fire brigade proudly declared it had remembered to bring water to a fire, we would rightly question what they’ve been doing until now.

Instead of patting itself on the back, the DWP should be apologising for its past negligence. It should be auditing its punitive practices. And it should be rethinking a system that prioritises cost-cutting over care.

Until that happens, no amount of press releases can obscure the fact that the DWP remains a vehicle for economic punishment and systemic abuse – not social support.

And no amount of “£1 billion saved” headlines will make up for the human cost it continues to ignore.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

A mother’s heartbreaking journey through grief has been compounded by the insensitivity of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It has withdrawn all her support and effectively told her to ‘get a job’ – leaving her facing homelessness

Tracy Hailwood: a tragic story

Tracy Hailwood, a 54-year-old mother from Heald Green, has been left devastated after the DWP told her to simply “get a job” in the wake of her daughter Stacey’s tragic passing.

For 33 years, Tracy devoted herself to caring for Stacey, who suffered catastrophic health issues stemming from a cardiac arrest shortly after her birth. This situation has raised pressing questions about the DWP’s handling of bereavement and the support provided to grieving parents.

As Manchester Evening News reported, Tracy’s ordeal began when Stacey, initially a “perfectly healthy baby,” experienced a severe decline due to a medical mishap, resulting in spastic quadriplegia and a host of related conditions.

As Tracy navigated the complexities of caring for her daughter, she was thrust into a prolonged legal battle over medical negligence, which only added to her burden. Despite eventually securing a settlement, Tracy now finds herself at a crossroads, unable to provide for her family after the death of her child.

With no recent work history or qualifications, stemming from decades devoted to caregiving, her prospects of re-entering the job market seem bleak.

The DWP: compounding the grief

In the words of Tracy, “When a spouse passes away you get bereavement payments, with a child you don’t. It’s just ‘sign on, look for a job’. She told Manchester Evening News:

I’ve been a full-time carer for more than 33 years with my daughter, I haven’t got any work history and it’s made me feel like I’m going a bit crazy.

I’m sitting in a house I’m having to sell because I can’t afford to live here. I’m angry, you do all that caring for years because it’s your child, but you’re also saving the NHS thousands of pounds by doing it.

I can’t afford to do anything until the house is sold and I get the money from that. That means I’m going to be homeless for a while.

This reflects a harsh reality faced by many bereaved parents, particularly those who have been caregivers and lacked time to build a professional life. The DWP’s response to such tragedies has been met with widespread criticism, as it fails to recognise the complexity of these individual circumstances. As Manchester Evening News reported, for Tracy:

The DWP… responded to her dire circumstances saying it ‘always provides the best possible support to those who need it. The DWP’s ‘best possible support’, it says, is ‘paying carer’s allowance for several weeks after someone’s caring role ends’.

Many argue that bereaved parents should receive more comprehensive support during their time of profound loss.

Abandoning parents

Recent reports have highlighted systemic issues within the DWP, including misleading information on their website about entitlements for bereaved parents. According to MoneySavingExpert, many parents are led to believe they are entitled to significant support, only to find the reality falls far short.

This lack of clarity can be devastating for parents already grappling with immense emotional distress.

Tracy’s situation is not unique; the tragic cases of other families illustrate a pattern of negligence that often leads to financial turmoil during the already heart-wrenching process of mourning.

For instance, the story of Helen Featherstone serves as a grim reminder of the consequences of inadequate support, as her son took his own life after benefits were withdrawn. The need for systemic change within the DWP is more urgent than ever.

Moreover, the case of Jodey Whiting, a disabled woman whose death a coroner ruled the DWP effectively caused after stopping her benefits, underscores the importance of evaluating the DWP’s policies. Her mother Joy Dove has to fight the entire system to even get an accurate verdict from a coroner on Jodey’s death. 

The ongoing struggle of parents losing Disability Living Allowance the day after their child’s death emphasises the urgency of legislative reform to protect bereaved families from sudden financial ruin.

The DWP is institutionally cruel and callous

With the DWP’s failure to provide a compassionate, supportive approach, countless families are left in financial disarray at the very moment they need support the most.

As Tracy Hailwood prepares to leave her home, facing uncertain living arrangements, questions about the integrity of the support system linger. The DWP’s stoic stance towards grieving individuals is not only disheartening but raises serious ethical concerns about the obligations of the state towards its most vulnerable citizens.

Tracy’s experience highlights a critical need for empathy and acknowledgment from systems designed to support citizens in their most vulnerable moments.

It is imperative for the DWP to reassess its policies and practices, ensuring that those who have given everything to care for their loved ones are met with compassion, understanding, and appropriate support during their times of grief. The call for change can no longer be ignored; it’s time for reform that genuinely addresses the needs of bereaved parents like Tracy Hailwood.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

In the UK, an astonishing one in 11 adults serves as unpaid carers, a role that extends far beyond mere assistance. These 5.7 million people constitute a vital segment of society, providing care for their loved ones. Yet Labour’s cuts to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will cut nearly £650 million in support from around 150,000 carers. So, Carers UK has taken a stand. 

Unpaid carers; saving the government £184 billion  – yet the DWP will cut their benefits, anyway

Recent research has unveiled that the contribution of these unpaid carers is valued at an eye-watering £184 billion annually. However, this figure may not fully encapsulate their true worth, as a significant 36% of carers take more than three years to acknowledge their caregiving role.

Despite their invaluable contributions, a staggering 55% of these individuals feel undervalued by society. Many are grappling with the heavy toll that caregiving takes on their mental and physical well-being.

A recent study highlighted that eight out of ten carers foresee worsening health impacts in the coming years. Such stark reveals underline the need for greater recognition and support for these unsung heroes – not lease from the DWP. 

DWP: cutting unpaid carers already pathetic benefits

Thanks to DWP cuts to PIP, a staggering 150,000 people are set to lose their eligibility for Carer’s Allowance and the carer element of DWP Universal Credit, as highlighted by the latest announcements from chancellor Rachel Reeves during her Spring Statement.

These changes come against a backdrop of significant cuts to chronically ill and disabled people’s benefits, anticipated to affect as many as 3.2 million families by 2030. According to estimates, individuals could see their annual income plummet by an average of £1,720 due to these shifts in policy.

DWP PIP, which is crucial for so many disabled people, is split into two distinct components: daily living and mobility.

Currently, the standard rate for the daily living part of DWP PIP requires claimants to accrue between eight and 11 points, while those eligible for the higher rate must score 12 points or more. However, a new threshold is set to be introduced in November 2026 which will require a minimum score of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living component, although the mobility criteria will remain unchanged.

Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, sharply condemned the decision, describing it as “the first substantial cuts to Carer’s Allowance in decades,” and calling it an unprecedented step in the wrong direction.

Poverty is already entrenched. Labour will make it even worse with DWP PIP cuts.

In an interview with Manchester Evening News, she voiced serious concerns over the implications for the many unpaid carers already facing financial hardship.

1.2 million unpaid carers already live in poverty, and 400,000 live in deep poverty in the UK.

She further explained that DWP PIP functions as a “gateway” benefit, meaning that changes will have dire consequences on the entitlements and support available to those who are already in difficult positions.

The DWP itself estimates that 150,000 unpaid carers will lose their entitlements to Carer’s Allowance or the carer’s element of Universal Credit.

Moreover, the financial burden on carers is exacerbated by the revelation that Carer’s Allowance currently provides £81.90 a week to those who care for someone for a minimum of 35 hours per week, but that support is now dwindling. The carer’s allowance of DWP Universal Credit is £198.31 every four weeks.

“The Most Valuable Portrait”

So, to shed light on this often-overlooked group and DWP PIP cuts, Specsavers Home Visits has collaborated with Carers UK and artist Colin Davidson to create a portrait titled “The Most Valuable Portrait“:

This piece features carer Jaycee La Bouche, who tends to her mother, and has been symbolically valued at £184 billion to reflect the immense contributions of over a million unpaid carers.

Davidson articulated the intent behind the project, stating, “It represents all the unpaid carers who deserve to be seen and valued.” This sentiment resonates deeply amidst a backdrop where caring responsibilities frequently go unacknowledged by the wider community.

Carers UK echoes these concerns, asserting that the health and social care system would face a catastrophic breakdown without unpaid carers.

Already cut to the bone and exhausted

According to Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK:

We want to see greater acknowledgment of the true value of unpaid care—a lifeline for many that often goes unrecognised.

The combined voices of these caregivers demand not just recognition, but actionable support and resources.

The challenges faced by unpaid carers are manifold – and that’s before the knock-on effect of DWP PIP cuts.

Over the past decade, approximately 4.3 million individuals have stepped into caring roles, equating to around 12,000 people per day. The burden of these responsibilities is disproportionate, falling heavily on women, who comprise nearly 59% of this workforce.

Significantly, many carers are juggling this role with paid employment; 56% of carers are managing both caregiving and holding jobs, often sacrificing their work hours. Alarmingly, 32% have been compelled to abandon their jobs altogether due to the demands of caregiving, reflecting a systemic failure to accommodate their needs.

Additionally, a report from Carers Trust revealed that 45% of unpaid carers feel they do not receive adequate support.

This lack of recognition is particularly acute among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and from Black and brown communities, who often encounter additional barriers to accessing essential services. The socio-economic impact of this caregiving crisis is profound, with many carers sacrificing their own financial stability in the process.

DWP PIP cuts will exacerbate a crisis for unpaid carers

According to recent census data, about 1.5 million individuals dedicate more than 50 hours a week to caregiving tasks. This commitment comes at a staggering cost—one in ten unpaid carers finds themselves in poverty, with many struggling to afford basic necessities like food and heating.

The government’s failure to provide adequate support not only jeopardises the well-being of these individuals but also places immense strain on the broader social care system.

Now, that lack of support – such as giving unpaid carers the equivalent of the minimum wage – will be exacerbated by DWP PIP cuts. It is astonishing that, given these people save the government so much money, it still wants to cut support for some of them.

Carers UK has taken an admirable stand. Now, further action needs to manifest to stop these cuts in their tracks.

Featured image via Specsavers/Carers UK/Colin Davidson

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

Disabled people across the UK, particularly in traditionally Labour-supporting regions, face the looming threat of reduced financial support due to proposed reforms to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Personal Independence Payment (PIP). But we now know that those in the Midlands and Wales are most at risk – thanks to research from the iPaper. 

Wales and the Midlands: stripped of DWP PIP

The government’s plans, which aim to tighten DWP PIP eligibility criteria, could lead to devastating impacts on vulnerable individuals relying on these benefits to navigate daily life.

In Wales, an alarming 90% of the 91,000 PIP claimants currently on the standard rate daily living allowance could find themselves ineligible if reassessed under new rules set to take effect from November 2026.

Similarly, in the East Midlands and West Midlands, the threat extends to 89% of claimants, suggesting that the reforms, aimed at cutting welfare costs, stand to affect the most vulnerable members of society.

The new regulations stipulate that claimants must score at least four points in one of the daily living categories to qualify for the standard benefit, which provides support for essential tasks such as managing finances, maintaining hygiene, and socialising.

This stringent criterion has sparked outrage, especially among mental health advocates who fear that individuals struggling with conditions such as anxiety and depression may be disproportionately affected. As one MP involved in the opposition voiced, the proposed cuts disregard the complex daily challenges faced by those with less visible disabilities.

The tip of the iceberg

But the huge numbers in Wales and the Midlands who will see the DWP cut their support are just the tip of the iceberg.

As the Canary previously reported, as a minimum and according to a DWP impact assessment, as many as 370,000 current claimants could lose their PIP entitlement due to changes in eligibility rules set to be implemented in November 2026, pending parliamentary approval.

But crucially, about 430,000 future applicants are anticipated to be denied the benefit, creating an average annual loss of around £4,500 for those affected. Therefore, Bryant’s 90% figure is not accurate – because people, including children transitioning from Disability Living Allowance to PIP – will lose out.

So, the figure is nearer 20% – not 10% – based on the DWP’s own data – plus 150,000 carers who will also lose their Carer’s Allowance.

However, this is all just before the end of 2028/29. The long-term picture is horrifying.

A horrifying picture emerging of DWP PIP cuts

The changes to DWP PIP Kendall is proposing target neurodivergent, learning disabled, and those with mental health disorders. Moreover, disabled people who need help with things like cutting up food, supervision, prompting, or assistance to wash, dress, or monitor their health condition, will no longer be eligible.

And revelations from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has also shown that the changes will disproportionately hit PIP claimants over 50 as well. Specifically, the criteria goalpost shifts will deny 1.09 million (nearly 70% of those who could lose out) the Daily Living component of PIP. Part of this cohort is obviously also people Labour is already hammering with the Winter Fuel Payment cuts.

Another FOI made by a member of the public unearthed that around 209,000 people getting enhanced rate DWP PIP Daily Living will lose it. On top of this, around 1.1 million people getting the standard rate will lose it.

In total then, nearly 1.4 million people could, on reassessment, lose their Daily Living element of DWP PIP. However, as the Canary’s Steve Topple previously noted, this doesn’t tell us how many could lose their full PIP altogether. This is because the data does not show how many of these people get standard or enhanced Mobility Element of DWP PIP.

Nonetheless, it’s evident that the plans will be enormously detrimental for chronically ill and disabled people.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

Almost half of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been forced to leave their jobs due to inadequate support from both the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and their employers. The urgency of this situation is underscored as the DWP plans to mete out regressive cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a vital benefit relied upon by more than half of those surveyed.

DWP is already abandoning people living with MS

Sarah Martin, a 51-year-old civil servant from Ramsbottom, epitomises the challenges faced by many. Living with relapsing multiple sclerosis, Sarah has benefited from DWP PIP to help manage her living costs, which have soared due to her condition.

“Receiving PIP means that I can afford to work part-time and better manage my symptoms,” she explained. However, the looming government cuts to this support threaten to upend her fragile balance between work and health.

If reassessed under new criteria, Sarah fears losing her daily living allowance, which could compel her to return to full-time work. This, she warns, would exacerbate her symptoms and lead to more frequent sick leave—a detrimental cycle for both her health and finances.

The government’s proposed changes have not gone unnoticed, with Ross Barrett, policy manager at the MS Society, urging officials to reconsider. He stated that many individuals with MS are leaving work not by choice, but due to financial pressures that force them to compromise their health.

“Living with MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable – not to mention expensive,” Barrett added. Access to DWP PIP enables these individuals to manage the extra costs associated with their condition, such as hiring carers for essential daily activities.

Workplaces are not accessible, still

In tandem with DWP PIP shortcomings, these workers often face adversities at the workplace. Nearly half of respondents indicated that a better understanding of MS from their employers could have made a critical difference in their ability to remain employed.

Additionally, 41% expressed that a lack of reasonable adjustments, like flexible working hours, also drove them towards leaving their roles. Alarmingly, a third of those still working hold jobs below their skill levels, often due to a lack of support that leaves them feeling undervalued and unrecognised.

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation, stressed the importance of comprehensive support from both the government and employers to enable those with MS to continue leading productive working lives.

“It’s critical that the government rethinks its plans to cut back access to welfare payments,” he emphasised. “Doing so could actually lead to fewer people with conditions like MS being able to enter and remain in work in the future.”

The recent report highlights an overwhelming sentiment among workers with MS—they desire meaningful employment, yet systemic barriers continue to impede their progress.

Institutional failures -including DWP PIP inadequacy

This aligns with findings from the MS Society which reported an employment rate for people with MS at only 41%, starkly contrasted to the 81% employment rate among non-disabled people.

Moreover, a scoping review revealed that only a fraction of those with MS manage to maintain full-time employment ten years after diagnosis.

Facing fluctuating symptoms, many are compelled to reduce their working hours or even retire prematurely, with DWP financial support playing a crucial role in easing this journey. The situation has reached a point where a staggering 75% of non-medical costs associated with MS are self-funded by individuals, placing immense pressure on their already strained finances.

Disability benefits like DWP PIP are not merely financial aids; they represent a lifeline for many who wish to maintain their independence while living with a debilitating condition.

The pressure of recent policy shifts is jeopardising this very dream for individuals like Sarah.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

At least £357 million has been wrongly demanded from unpaid carers over six years due to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) systemic failures, prompting soaring debts, mental health struggles and calls for urgent reform of the carer’s allowance system.

The DWP has systematically abused carers

The revelation that at least £357 million in carer’s allowance payments have been made in error over the past six years highlights a devastating legacy of negligence from the DWP.

This grim figure is not merely a number; it represents the mounting debt and distress inflicted on hundreds of thousands of dedicated, unpaid carers, many of whom are already navigating the difficult terrains of caring for loved ones amidst financial uncertainty.

Carers UK, which unearthed this figure through newly released official data on fraud and error, has described the DWP’s handling of the situation as an “unacceptable failure”.

Despite previous assurances about new technologies designed to prevent such overpayments, the stark reality is that minor breaches of earnings rules have led to massive repayment demands.

The DWP had claimed that by 2019, such problems would be largely resolved. It suggested that their new earnings verification tool would “prevent overpayments in some cases before they happen.” It seems, however, that these assurances hold little weight against a background of systemic failures.

Making criminals out of vulnerable families

Many unpaid carers, like Guy Shahar, now find themselves beset by debts that can soar as high as £20,000 due to clerical oversight. Shahar expressed that the enormity of excessive charges appears both “shocking” and fundamentally unjust, given the DWP’s previous commitments to improve the system.

“They are making criminals out of vulnerable families they are supposed to be helping,” he lamented. This sentiment echoes through the community of unpaid carers, who feel unfairly targeted and victimised by an unwavering bureaucratic system at the DWP.

The DWP’s reliance on a policy that called for only half of all alerts from its earnings verification tool to be investigated meant that countless overpayments spiralled unchecked for months, if not years.

In the five years following the introduction of the verification tool, over 262,000 repayment cases have emerged, collectively totalling more than £325 million. Alarmingly, around 600 carers have even faced criminal charges, burdening them—and their families—with criminal records as a consequence of administrative oversight.

Moreover, the impact of these overpayments stretches beyond financial strain.

An extraordinary toll

According to a report by Carers UK, the emotional toll on unpaid carers has been extraordinary, with many experiencing deteriorating mental health and overwhelming anxiety. The average overpayment faced by carers hovers around £4,000, but the ramifications are far greater than mere finances; lives are disrupted, trust eroded, and mental wellbeing compromised.

As Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK, pointed out:

Given that unpaid carers were falsely assured that the problem would be largely resolved, they deserve better.

In a somewhat reactive response, DWP ministers have finally pledged £800,000 to better staff the carer’s allowance division, with the aim of scrutinising 100% of alerts to stem the tide of overpayments at their source.

However, this initiative raises the question of why, after years of warnings and clear evidence of failure, such fundamental changes only arrive after media scrutiny and persistent pressure from advocacy groups.

State-sanctioned abuse from the DWP

It is clear that the current system is broken, with a 71% spike in overpayment cases reported since 2018. This surge signals an urgent need for comprehensive reform within the carer’s allowance framework, not just to avert future financial crises but to support the critical role that carers play in our society.

Advocacy groups are clamouring for not only an overhaul but also for increased earnings thresholds that reflect the reality of living costs, particularly when many carers are forced to juggle work and caregiving.

Ultimately, the situation reflects a deep-seated issue within the DWP—a bureaucratic entity that targets chronically ill, disabled, and older people, and their carers, as criminals and scroungers rather than people deserving of support.

Carers deserve a system that empowers them rather than burdens them with unnecessary debts and anxiety. The ongoing fallout from these overpayments serves as a stark reminder of the imperative for better governance, transparency, and, above all, compassion in the support of the invaluable role that unpaid carers play in our communities.

Featured image via the Canary

By Steve Topple

This post was originally published on Canary.

Whilst the Labour government is fighting a potential rebellion in its ranks due to their proposed benefits cuts, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released more stats which prove why the benefits cuts aren’t needed – namely, the figures around fraud and error, especially PIP.

DWP releases latest ‘benefit fraud’ figures

The Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report is an annual report that is published every May and provides information on how much is overpaid in benefits each year.

Whilst the government tends to focus on the fraud part of this report, it also breaks down how much was overpaid due to error, on both the part of the claimant and their own error. Not only this, but it also holds the department to account on how much is underpaid to claimants, but this part coincidentally usually receives very little press attention.

The report found that the total amount of overpaid benefits across the whole system from April 2024 to April 2025 was £9.5 billion, or 3.3%. This is actually down from the previous year’s £9.7 billion (3.3%).

The total rate of fraud in the system was 2.2%, or £6.5 billion, but again this is down from the previous financial year’s £7.3 billion (2.7%). The total amount underpaid to claimants was £1.1 billion. Add to this the total amount overpaid due to DWP error that was then taken back was £1 billion. That’s countless pensioners, disabled people, single parents, and working families, unduly stressed and struggling to get by even more because of the government.

What the government are going to focus on is disability benefit fraud, despite it being such a small amount in the grand scheme of the report.

An admission over DWP PIP

It’s difficult to get a complete picture of all fraud and errors in disability benefits, due to Universal Credit now being the main unemployment benefit, and that includes all unemployed people and also those who work but need extra support.

However, the rate of PIP fraud shows just how unserious disability benefit fraud is. In the last year, the rate of total amount of PIP overpayment was 1.3% or £330 million, which is up massively from £90 million in 23/24. However, the breakdown explains why.

The total amount of fraud was £100 million, up from 0 in the last financial year, but this still only accounts for 0.4% of all PIP claimants. The amount of overpayment due to claimant error almost doubles this at £190 million, or 0.7%, compared with £60 million the year before (0.3%).

However, a huge reason for this was that claimants didn’t know they had to report an improvement in health, something which isn’t made clear and considering the DWP backlog, probably isn’t easy to do. That accounted for 6 in every 10 pounds that were overpaid. There was also £40 million overpaid due to the department’s errors.

The amount of underpaid PIP was £40 million (0.2%), compared with £80 million in 2024. Significantly, all underpayments were due to the DWP wrongly deciding claimants should be awarded less.

So whilst there was £100 million in PIP fraud last year, this is also balanced out by the £290 million overpaid due to error and underpaid to claimants due to the government not believing disabled people.

Errors upon errors

Another significant part of the report is that Carer’s Allowance overpayment is included. This hasn’t been reported since 2020, the reason for this of course wasn’t given, but it’s interesting that it wasn’t reported during the pandemic.

The overall overpayment rate of Carer’s allowance was £160 million in the financial year compared with £150 million in 2020. However. despite these figures being higher, as a percentage of the total claims the rate is now much lower than it was in 2020 at 3.9% now and 5.2% in 2020.

There’s no huge significant change in the rate of fraud from 2020 to now, with it standing at 3% (£90 million) in 2020 and 2.5% (£100 million) now. Overpayment due to claimant error is 1% (£40 million), compared with 2.0% (£60 million) in 2020.

It is interesting, though, that the DWP are choosing to publish these figures now – which makes it look like they’ve gotten fraud down since 2020 but not the previous four years.

To compare this to other benefits, Universal Credit had an overpayment rate of 9.7% or £6.35 billion, which was a decrease from the previous year’s 12.4%. Of this £5.20 billion (8%) was down to fraud, down from £5.26 billion (10.8%) the year before.

Claimant error accounted for £610 million (0.9%), and departmental error was £540 million. The underpayment rate increased significantly to £390 million (0.6%) from the previous year’s £180 million (0.3%). Whilst not all on Universal Credit are disabled, this will still have impacted a fair number of disabled people.

DWP: robbing disabled people, robbing older people

And finally, its not just disabled people the government are failing by underpaying, but of course older people too. Whilst the state pension was overpaid by £190 million, it was underpaid by a whopping £450 million. Though this was thankfully paid back, that’s a lot of scared, hungry, and cold older people.

Overall, there hasn’t been a significant change in DWP fraud and error rates since last year, but it’s important that disabled people arm themselves with these stats and the fact that disabled people aren’t the ones robbing the humble taxpayer.

At the end of the day, there’s far more unpaid tax from billionaires that the government fails to chase than there is from people who vitally need support.

Featured image via the Canary

By Rachel Charlton-Dailey

This post was originally published on Canary.