It was three weeks after Christmas when the bombshell letter arrived. Guy Shahar and his wife, Oksana, looked at each other in stunned disbelief.

They had followed the Guardian’s investigation into the carer’s allowance scandal that has left thousands of families with crippling debts and criminal records. Not once did they think they would join them.

“Important,” it read in big bold type. “You have been paid more carer’s allowance than you are entitled to. You now need to pay this money back”.

In some weeks, she was paid just 38p more than the threshold – but for that tiny infraction she is being forced to repay £64.60 each time, the rate of carer’s allowance at the time.

    • @OwlPaste@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      The same report released in May found the DWP had known since 2021 that overpayment of Carer’s Allowance has left some people in financial difficulty.

      Remind me when were last general elections again? Another conservative mine they left hanging about by sweeping it under the rug.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20jln81w72o

      Not a fan of labour but please give credit where its due, as to which government did nothing first.

      • @Cypher@lemmy.world
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        619 hours ago

        The government currently in power is fully responsible as they could stop it entirely, they choose not to and are complicit.

        • @WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          “Fully responsible” huh? Like on day 1, or is there some sort of grace period? How long does a gov have to review all historic legislation? Is your timeframe based on empiric evidence or hopes and dreams? Why aren’t the individuals who wrote and passed it “fully responsible”? Or does their culpability end the moment they vacate office?

          • @Cypher@lemmy.world
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            216 hours ago

            Last I checked the current UK Government have been in for nearly a year.

            They would have been aware of this legislation when it passed as it’s not like the politicians are born on election day.

            A current majority government is always responsible for how the government is running.

        • @Yermaw@lemm.ee
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          617 hours ago

          Bureaucracy moves pretty slowly i think. We’ve got another few years to find out for sure.