Academics question the purpose of the carer’s allowance and say we can learn from the Scottish government’s reform process
Your editorial (27 October) is right: serious issues with the Department for Work and Pensions’ administration of carer’s allowance run far deeper than inadequate IT systems. Well-documented systemic failures and flawed design have caused preventable financial and emotional harm. While the abolition of the punitive “cliff edge” is welcome, a taper cannot be the extent of the government’s commitment to carers.
The unacceptably long timeline for implementation prolongs the injustice. How will the government protect carers who are at risk of incurring overpayments debt in the period until 2030-31? Following the revelation that the DWP has completed fewer than 2% of the cases included in its reassessment exercise, this brings into question the urgency given to improving carers’ financial security.