Martin Lewis warning could cost people on DWP benefits £19,544

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert has issued a £20,000 warning to people who claim Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) benefits. In the latest newsletter for MSE, Mr Lewis' team have spoken out over DWP benefits after one claimant's horror tale.

MSE said in its bulletin this week: "Carer's Allowance cliff-edge made me feel like a criminal' - why Martin's pushing for change. If carers get paid even 1p more than the £151/week threshold, they lose the whole £82/week Carer's Allowance.

"Yet the system still pays, so many who have not noticed (eg, after wage changes) need to pay it back. Read Heather's story - she's one of 100,000s affected." Heather Aylesbury, 56, is the main carer for her 91-year-old mother who suffers from peripheral neuropathy, a condition which has caused her to lose feeling in both of her legs. She started claiming Carer's Allowance in 2012.

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In late 2019, DWP arranged for a local government officer to visit and tell her she had been overpaid Carer's Allowance by £19,543.95. Heather had been receiving yearly pay rises at her job without realising it would take her over the earnings limit.

"I do understand that it was my responsibility to make sure I was under the limit," she said. "But it didn't cross my mind. I was in the same role, in the same job, working the same number of hours. I was still caring for mum, more so than I was before. So I never had a reason to question it, nor did I have the time or the energy to."

"I don't understand how people are expected to keep changing jobs, juggling life and doing the caring. It's full-on, and I wouldn't change it for the world because it's what mum wants, but it's emotionally draining. And then to be made to feel like a convict for doing your best, it's shocking."

A spokesperson for DWP said: "We recognise the challenges carers are facing and we are determined to provide unpaid carers with the support they need and deserve. This is why we have launched a review into Carer's Allowance overpayments to get to the bottom of how overpayments have occurred and to prevent people who devote such time and care to others from facing similar difficulties in future."