Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had made an assessment of the potential impact of the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance payments on carers in Northern Ireland.

The Independent Review into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance linked to earnings covered England and Wales. In view of the principle of parity with DWP in matters of social security, I informed the Minister for Communities of the Review’s findings and the Government’s response to them, and officials from the two Departments are in discussion on the issues raised. Since social security is transferred in Northern Ireland, questions 99735 and 99736 are matters for the Executive.