Found: to extinction risk 145 Create a national advocacy support service for UK veterans 98 Increase Carer's

Found: that th ere be a debate on the motion “That this House has considered e- petition 640062 relating to Carer's

Found: Correspondence with the Permanent Secretary relating to Carer's Allowance , dated 18 October 2023.

Found: Allowance and Universal Credit, but the two overlap, so the people who benefit financially from Carer's

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment has the Department for Work and Pensions made of its own culpability in issuing overpayments to recipients of carer's allowance.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to forgoing repayment of the overpayment to recipients of carer’s allowance in instances where the Department for Work and Pensions is at fault for such overpayment.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what changes the Department for Work and Pensions has made to its procedures to ensure that the overpayment of carer's allowance to recipients cannot occur in the future.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the maximum amount that the Department for Work and Pensions is seeking to recover from any individual recipient of carer's allowance as a result of overpayment of that allowance; and whether there is any cap on the total amount sought.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government from how many recipients of carer's allowance the Department for Work and Pensions is seeking repayment following overpayment of that allowance.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Found: Attendance Allowance Bereavement Support Payment Scheme Disability Living Allowance Bereavement Benefit Carer's

Found: Allowance 1195 [x] 0.638493723849372 [x] 0.361506276150628 2009/10 Annual Child Benefit Lone Parent

Found: Percentage (%) of respondents* Scottish Child Payment 45% Adult Disability Payment 38% Carer's

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the Department for Work and Pensions under the agency agreement for the delivery of Carer's Allowance in Scotland to identify the (a) number of carers affected by overpayment debt and (b) levels of debt accumulated.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform the threshold element of the Carer Support Payment following the completion of the transfer from Carer's Allowance in Scotland.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

As set out in our response to our 2022 public consultation, we are considering options for reform of the earnings threshold as part of longer-term plans for improvements to Carer Support Payment. These include increasing the earnings threshold and introducing a run-on of support to mitigate the earnings ‘cliff edge’, both of which were supported by the majority of respondents to the consultation. Given the range of views on how the earnings rules for Carer Support Payment could work differently from Carer’s Allowance, we are continuing to consider the responses received. We are also considering research, recently published by the DWP in May, on carers’ experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance to inform our approach.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the introduction and operation of Carer Support Payment, whether it has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to prevent the accumulation of debt among carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance in Scotland due to (a) delayed investigation and (b) non-investigation of overpayment alerts.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

We have taken on board lessons from Carer’s Allowance in designing Carer Support Payment to better prevent overpayments. Information on earnings rules and when to report changes are much clearer. We are making better use of the ability to average out carers’ earnings, and using data from HMRC and scheduled reviews for self-employed carers to check and track carers’ earnings. Our systems use automated decision making for the most straightforward applications, allowing more time and resource to focus on complex cases and earnings processes. We pay Carer Support Payment four weekly in arrears as standard, reducing the potential for overpayments by allowing more time for a change of circumstances to be reported and reflected in a carer’s award. As part of the case transfer process, we also have processes in place to check earnings once carer’s awards are in payment to reduce the risk of inheriting existing overpayments. We are continuing to take feedback from carers and stakeholders to consider how we can continue to improve our earnings processes.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it will undertake with (a) the Department for Work and Pensions and (b) Social Security Scotland during the roll-out of, and process of case transfer to, Carer Support Payment, to increase the level of help and advice available to unpaid carers in Scotland who may have been left in debt due to overpayments of Carer's Allowance.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. It is our established policy that no-one should be placed into hardship as a result of overpayment recovery. Social Security Scotland have in place processes to prevent and identify overpayments as quickly as possible, and will consider an individual’s financial and personal circumstances as far as they are known before recovery is attempted. Social Security Scotland will discuss the best way forward for individuals and anyone affected will be able to seek support and advice before agreeing any repayment plan. Any deductions are set at manageable levels and individuals can seek a redetermination and appeal where a new determination has been made. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.