Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what checks does his Department carry out into the ongoing circumstances of those claiming Carer's Allowance.

When an award of Carer’s Allowance is made, the customer is issued with a written notification letter advising of changes in circumstances they need to declare that may affect their entitlement. This is to ensure DWP holds the correct details for them. This letter also details how to contact Carer’s Allowance to declare any change, via contact number, postal address and GOV.UK details for the online service.

Annual benefit uprating letters advise the customer on the new rates of Carer’s Allowance due to be paid, any change to earnings limits, and remind the customer of the changes they need to notify to DWP, and how to do so. DWP has been working with partners such as Carer’s UK to support customers better in understanding fully their obligation to report changes in their circumstances, including employment.

DWP takes a range of action to ensure the veracity of benefit awards, including:

• Targeted Case Reviews (TCRs): DWP conducts reviews to verify that customer circumstances (income, savings, and household) match their records.
• Data Matching and Analytics: DWP uses data from HM Revenue & Customs to verify employment and income, using the Verify Earnings and Pension (VEP) system to help prevent fraud and error.
• New Legal Powers: The government is introducing legislation - such as the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act - to give DWP enhanced powers to require banks to share data that may indicate potential overpayments.
• Internal Process Reviews (IPRs): DWP conducts these reviews to ensure that interactions with customers follow correct operational processes, using feedback to make improvements.