Understanding more
It might feel a bit daunting to receive information about a Carer's Allowance overpayment especially if it relates to some time in the past. We have provided some frequently asked questions with guidance below to help.
What review is this?
The government has recently carried out a review into Carer’s Allowance overpayments.
As a result, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is reassessing a number of cases relating to some decisions on earnings-related overpayments.
This is because the review found that some of the decisions were not correct because the guidance on how to treat earnings that fluctuate (as followed by the DWP between 2015 and summer 2025) wasn’t clear.
The internal guidance that the DWP decision makers followed did not match the law around averaging of fluctuating earnings.
You can read the background to this on our 'Support with Carer's Allowance overpayments' page.
If you had fluctuating earnings which led to a Carer’s Allowance overpayment (between 2015 and September 2025), you will be contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when your case is reassessed. You will not need to contact them in advance.
The outcomes of the reassessment will vary. In most cases, the government guidance will have been correctly applied and there will be no change to the decision, but some carers may receive a full or partial refund. Additionally, some cases will not be within the scope of this review and so there will be no change to the overpayment decision.
If, during the reassessment, the DWP find that you owe more money than they previously thought, they have said that you will not be asked to repay this additional amount.
You will receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you are affected by the reassessments exercise and had an earnings-related Carer's Allowance overpayment between 2015 and September 2025. Some people may also receive an SMS if more information is needed.
If they ask for more information to help make a decision, try your best to provide this or let them know if you are having difficulties finding
the relevant details to supply.
Once your case has been looked at again, you will receive a letter explaining what decision was taken and how this was reached.
If you are contacted in another way, make sure that you are in touch with the DWP (and not a false company pretending to be them). Be careful not to disclose any personal information if you have any doubts. Visit this page if you'd like some further advice: Keeping safe from scams | Carers UK
Connecting with others
You can connect to our forum, Carers Connect, to read what others have experienced and share tips. You may find it helpful to search for terms like 'overpayments' to find threads with relevant discussion.
To post topics or join a conversation on our forum, you need to become a member first. This is free and can give you access to lots of additional support in case you need it – see this link: join us.
You may also want to join our online sessions for a cuppa and a chat with other carers or for our free 'Share and learn' sessions, a chance to get expert insights into different areas of caring: Online meetups | Carers UK
