Carers Allowance and HMRC helpline
What are carers rights as the government recoups more than a Β£250m in carers allowance it says was overpaid? And, HMRC customers kept on hold for 798 years according to report.
Money Box can reveal that the government is recouping more than Β£250m pounds from over 100,000 carers who it says broke the earnings rule and should have lost their carer's allowance. The numbers came from a Parliamentary Question this week asked by the chair of the work and pensions select committee, Twice as many women as men are being chased for these overpayments.
We hear from a carer who has around Β£5000 worth of debt as well as finding out more about rights for carers affected.
The Department for Work and Pensions told us, βThe total amount of Carerβs Allowance overpayments includes historical debts which the department is seeking to recover. In comparison, Carerβs Allowance expenditure is forecast to be Β£4.2 billion this year alone.β
βCarers across the UK are unsung heroes who make a huge difference to someone elseβs life, and we have increased Carer's Allowance by almost Β£1,500 since 2010.β
Also on the programme, a report by spending watchdog the National Audit Office has revealed callers to HMRC helplines were on hold for a total of 789 years in 2022/23.
Are we saving enough for our retirement? Pensions and investment mutual Royal London gives Money Box exclusive figures.
And how do you spend a Β£50 note? We get to the bottom of what shops are allowed to accept.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Sandra Hardial
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Sarah Rogers
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Sat 18 May 2024 12:04ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 19 May 2024 21:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.
Podcast
-
Money Box
The latest news from the world of personal finance