£357m in carer’s allowance benefit paid out in error in past 6 yrs by govt officials. Innocent people chased for debt, face anxiety, hardship, prosecution threats. Govt taking powers to remove money from benefit claimants bank account. A cliff edge approach to benefits must be abandoned. - ThreadSky

premnsikka.bsky.social • 14 days ago

£357m in carer’s allowance benefit paid out in error in past 6 yrs by govt officials.

Innocent people chased for debt, face anxiety, hardship, prosecution threats.

Govt taking powers to remove money from benefit claimants bank account.

A cliff edge approach to benefits must be abandoned.

Comments

4017xan.bsky.social•14 days ago

We were promised that these cruel persecutions of people who made small errors by earning slightly more than they should have would be sorted out without delay. Often the error had not been spotted by officials for years. Who is more to blame, the DWP or the stressed carer?

mdf200.bsky.social•14 days ago

Meanwhile the Tories wrote off £4Bn in Covid loans….

sudburyflowers.bsky.social•14 days ago

If they pay you the money, you assume they have worked it out properly at their end (and we don't know HOW they work it out so we can't check).
The money isn't enough in the first place, so of course every penny gets spent. Can't afford to save up.
"Asking for it back" = there isn't any.

tony227.bsky.social•14 days ago

If only they were similarly aggressive with millionaire tax avoider bank accounts!

vivelarev.bsky.social•14 days ago

And this is why we all need to be incredibly sceptical about means testing or other administrative burdens. The govt are terrible at it, so why trust more paperwork?

But also - £357m. It’s a drop in the bucket. It’ll cost them £100m to hound these people.

4017xan.bsky.social•14 days ago

A very fair comment and I totally agree.

wrenkh.bsky.social•14 days ago

It's their error.
The payments are hopelessly inadequate
The carers Save the government an absolute fortune in looking after people.
It often costs them more to claw it back than the amount anyway
It doesn't happen if you're rich
The System Stinks!

margaretgearydwyer.bsky.social•14 days ago

Appalling when the greedy and corrupt lying genocidal psychopaths are in charge. 😠🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇵🇸💚♿✊

hexenbeest.bsky.social•14 days ago

When I worked in DWP (Income Support) many years ago, an overpayment was written off if it was found to have been a official error.
Is the government now blaming claimants for official errors?

gadi2346.bsky.social•14 days ago

There used to be "misdirection", when an overpayment was made in error, if that was claimed the recipient did not have to pay back the overpayment as it was not their fault.

vickyr.bsky.social•14 days ago

And they don't do it to the rich !

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