DWP demanded thousands of pounds from woman with late-stage dementia

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has apologised after demanding that a 93-year-old woman with late-stage dementia and Parkinson's disease return £7,000. The elderly woman had failed to inform the DWP of a change in her circumstances five years previously.

The elderly woman was told by the DWP to return the funds she had received as part of the severe disability premium of Pension Credit from 2019 to 2022. This situation arose when the woman's daughter, Rose Chitseko, started receiving Carer's Allowance in 2019 as her mother's condition meant she could no longer look after herself.

According to the regulations, this made Rose's mother ineligible for the disability premium. The DWP claimed that Rose's mother "failed" to inform them of the change, leading to a fraudulent claim of the benefit.

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Despite Rose, a former adult social care worker, contesting the allegation on the grounds of her mother's severe illness preventing her from notifying the department, the DWP dismissed the appeal and proceeded with the recoupment of the funds.

The Guardian initially highlighted the case as part of its probe into Carer's Allowance overpayments, and Rose has now confirmed to the newspaper that the excessive charges have been scrapped. In addition to the cancellation, Rose and her mother received an apology from the Government department, reports the Mirror.

Speaking to the Guardian, Rose expressed her dissatisfaction: "They apologise, which is something, but they don't explain why they took the money in the first place. It's frustrating that they don't explain. They give me a number to call for information but if they don't want to say anything they're not going to say anything."

Prior to the debt being cleared, Rose's mother was repaying substantial sums each month from her pension and life savings, amounting to a third of her total savings. Relieved by the resolution for her mother, Rose shared with the Guardian her concerns about the DWP's rigid approach to her case.

She remarked: "Here you had an elderly lady whose powers were declining ... if that's not a case for discretion, what is?"

A DWP spokesperson stated: "Following a review of the case, we have cancelled the overpayment and apologise [to the claimant] for any distress. We will refund all repayments already made."

The issue was highlighted during the Guardian's probe into Carer's Allowance overpayments. The newspaper revealed last month that "ten of thousands" of individuals, predominantly from low-income households caring for ill and disabled relatives, are being compelled to repay their benefits after breaching the benefit's working rules.

Carer's Allowance, valued at £81.90 per week, is granted if you provide care for someone for a minimum of 35 hours weekly. While claiming, you can work but your earnings must not exceed £151 per week after tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and allowable expenses.

If your income fluctuates weekly or monthly, your average earnings are used to assess your eligibility for Carer's Allowance. If your earnings surpass the limit - even by a mere £1 - you forfeit your entitlement to Carer's Allowance.

Carers have previously voiced concerns about the confusing rules regarding earnings - especially when hours change or pay increases. The Guardian states that "most" of the overpayment cases were "genuine mistakes" made by the claimant, with the National Audit Office reporting that less than 10% of Carer's Allowance overpayments were fraudulent.

The Alzheimer's Society has detailed information about dementia on its website. The NHS has details of care plans, medication and therapies used to treat dementia on its website.