DWP pursued woman’s employer for nonexistent ‘benefit debt’
A woman caring for her disabled mother faced job jeopardy after the DWP pursued her employer for a nonexistent benefit debt. Despite a court ruling that dismissed the debt, the DWP claimed they had no record of the decision. The woman's experience highlights systemic issues within the DWP's administration and communication.
- ▪The DWP demanded her employer deduct a nonexistent debt from her salary, despite a court ruling in her favor.
- ▪The woman, known as Ms C, has been a carer for her mother since she was 13 and has not claimed benefits for five years.
- ▪An independent review criticized the DWP for outdated systems and poor communication, which hinder effective administration.
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| Original publisher | World news | The Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/20/dwp-pursued-womans-employer-for-nonexistent-benefit-debt |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 14:41:36 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T13:18:53.490Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T15:16:43.958Z |
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A review of carer benefit overpayments said outdated computer systems, flawed internal communication and poor access to records hampered effective administration at the DWP. Photograph: Alex Segre/AlamyView image in fullscreenA review of carer benefit overpayments said outdated computer systems, flawed internal communication and poor access to records hampered effective administration at the DWP. Photograph: Alex Segre/AlamyCarersDWP pursued woman’s employer for nonexistent ‘benefit debt’ Exclusive: Employer of woman who cares for disabled mother was asked to deduct ‘debt’ from salary despite court ruling she had nothing to payPatrick Butler Social policy editorWed 20 May 2026 09.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 20 May 2026 09.06 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA woman providing full-time…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at World news | The Guardian.
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