Martin Lewis tells DWP to remove £151 'cliff-edge' that is 'simply stupid'

Personal finance guru Martin Lewis has echoed the words of benefits campaigners and called for an end to the "stupid" £151 per week Department for Work and Pensions threshold, which has caused 138,000 people who look after others to be chased for an eye-watering £251 million in overpayments.

These people who receive Carer's Allowance, a £327 per month benefit that pays towards the cost of caring for at least 35 hours per week, are allowed to work alongside their caring responsibilities, but are often fined years later after the DWP discovers that they might have been paid more than the £151 per week "cliff-edge". In recent months, carers have come forward after being chased for thousands of pounds by the department, with some even losing their homes.

In a post on X, the Money Saving Expert founder said: “End the Carers Allowance cliff-edge! Many reporting the scandal that those caring 35+hrs/wk oft for vulnerable loved ones must repay £1,000s just for slipping a quid or two over the max earnings threshold ."The DWP says it is the responsibility of Carer's Allowance claimants to tell the department when their earnings exceed this £151 per week threshold.

Mr Lewis continued: “Ending that clawback's important. Yet the cliff-edge should end too. Almost all other benefits work by taper - ie earn over the limit and the benefit doesn't immediately stop, it gradually reduces. "With Carers Allowance, a penny over and you get nowt. This is simply stupid and should be stopped. Carers are a backbone of the UK, saving the state & NHS billions. The £82/wk allowance is pitifully low, at the very least we should end the cliff-hanger so work pays.”

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