There has been a recent increase in news stories across the United Kingdom surrounding the issue of Carer’s Allowance overpayments. It has been highlighted that there are approximately 6,500 claimants in Northern Ireland who are at risk of having to pay back a Carer’s Allowance overpayment. Since 2021, over £9 million of Carer’s Allowance has been referred to the Department for Communities’ Debt Management Unit.
As a response to this issue, the Law Centre has prepared a new guide ‘Understanding Carer’s Allowance Overpayments’ to help frontline workers and advisers in Northern Ireland better respond to this issue.
This guide will inform advisers of best practice, with a view of helping claimants avoid an overpayment occurring within Northern Ireland. It will also highlight what options are available to claimants who find themselves in the position of having been issued an overpayment.
You can view the guide ‘here‘.