Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the value of Carer’s Allowance overpayment debts in relation to earnings.

Data on fraud and error overpayments was published earlier this year: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into these overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.