UK Welfare Department Under Fire Over 'Culture of Complacency' Surrounding Carer's Allowance Scandal
A senior official at the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been accused of overseeing a "culture of complacency" that led to widespread errors with the carer's allowance benefit, leaving thousands of unpaid carers facing huge bills.
The criticism comes from Debbie Abrahams, chair of the work and pensions select committee, who says the DWP repeatedly prioritized vulnerable people over actual need and failed to learn from its mistakes. She expressed "doubt" about the department's permanent secretary, Sir Peter Schofield, who had promised MPs six years ago that he would fix critical flaws in the benefit but has yet to do so.
An investigation by The Guardian found that hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers, mostly already living in poverty, were left with significant debt due to DWP shortcomings. Several hundred received fraud convictions as a result of these errors.
Despite promising changes last month, Schofield was accused of giving out "a lot of blancmange" (empty promises) by one MP. Abrahams has written to him, expressing her skepticism over his recent commitments and citing evidence that suggests senior civil servants within the department blame claimants for their own mistakes.
A recent independent review by disability expert Liz Sayce found the overpayments were caused by systemic DWP failures, poor benefit design, and unlawful internal staff guidance. The government-commissioned report contradicts views held by a senior civil servant in the department who suggested carers themselves were to blame for incurring the overpayments.
Abrahams has called on Schofield to demonstrate "action" within his senior team to address the attitudinal issues, stating that until the DWP changes its culture, it will struggle to build trust with those it's meant to serve. The department claims to be taking decisive action to correct its mistakes and restore public trust.
The scandal has raised concerns about the government's handling of vulnerable individuals and whether it truly prioritizes their needs over administrative convenience.
A senior official at the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been accused of overseeing a "culture of complacency" that led to widespread errors with the carer's allowance benefit, leaving thousands of unpaid carers facing huge bills.
The criticism comes from Debbie Abrahams, chair of the work and pensions select committee, who says the DWP repeatedly prioritized vulnerable people over actual need and failed to learn from its mistakes. She expressed "doubt" about the department's permanent secretary, Sir Peter Schofield, who had promised MPs six years ago that he would fix critical flaws in the benefit but has yet to do so.
An investigation by The Guardian found that hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers, mostly already living in poverty, were left with significant debt due to DWP shortcomings. Several hundred received fraud convictions as a result of these errors.
Despite promising changes last month, Schofield was accused of giving out "a lot of blancmange" (empty promises) by one MP. Abrahams has written to him, expressing her skepticism over his recent commitments and citing evidence that suggests senior civil servants within the department blame claimants for their own mistakes.
A recent independent review by disability expert Liz Sayce found the overpayments were caused by systemic DWP failures, poor benefit design, and unlawful internal staff guidance. The government-commissioned report contradicts views held by a senior civil servant in the department who suggested carers themselves were to blame for incurring the overpayments.
Abrahams has called on Schofield to demonstrate "action" within his senior team to address the attitudinal issues, stating that until the DWP changes its culture, it will struggle to build trust with those it's meant to serve. The department claims to be taking decisive action to correct its mistakes and restore public trust.
The scandal has raised concerns about the government's handling of vulnerable individuals and whether it truly prioritizes their needs over administrative convenience.
I'm so frustrated when I think about all those unpaid carers who got stuck with huge bills due to the DWP's mistakes 
. It's not right that they're being made to pay for errors that weren't even their fault 
. I mean, come on, can't we just learn from our mistakes and move forward instead of repeating them over and over again? 
. Like, what even is that supposed to mean? That they're just too laid back and don't care about fixing their own problems? 
It's not like it's rocket science or anything - you'd think that after all these years, they'd have gotten it right by now.
. We need more people like Debbie Abrahams who aren't afraid to call out the DWP for their mistakes and demand real change 
. Until then, those unpaid carers are still going to be stuck with big bills and a whole lot of stress 
.
. We've seen promises come and go from this government before, so it's hard to keep faith that they're genuinely committed to helping vulnerable people.
. I think we need some serious changes in the DWP and a lot more accountability 
.
I think this whole thing is a huge mess 
. Like, how can you prioritize people's lives and then screw them up like that? 
. I mean, they're supposed to be helping carers, not hurting them 
. This culture of complacency is just a nice way of saying they're too scared to fix problems because it's gonna cost them some votes 
. But what about the people who are actually affected? Where's their voice in all this? 
. I'm all for holding the DWP accountable and demanding change 
. We need someone at the top to step up and take responsibility for this mess 
. These unpaid carers are already struggling to make ends meet, and now they've got huge bills piling up because of the DWP's mistakes 
. It's not just about making promises and giving out empty words (blancmange 
.
. It's all about accountability, folks! The fact that Sir Peter Schofield is dodging calls to action again 
it's just not right dat they're facin huge bills and no help comin from the govt 
. This isn't just about money; it's about people's basic dignity and well-being.
. It's not just about giving empty promises (I mean, who uses blancmange as a metaphor for incompetence? 
) but actually making changes to address the attitudinal issues within the department.
. And that's a shame, because these carers deserve so much better 
. We need to shine a light on this issue and demand real change 
.
abrahams sounds like a hero, calling out schofield and his team for giving empty promises 
hopefully they'll take action and make some real changes soon 
. The DWP needs to step up their game and change their culture ASAP 
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." 
. Until then, thousands of unpaid carers will continue to suffer, and public trust will remain at an all-time low 
I'm so disappointed in the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It sounds like they've got a major culture problem on their hands, where complacency is just not acceptable when it comes to helping people who need support most 
. Thousands of unpaid carers are struggling with huge bills because of mistakes made by the DWP - that's not right at all 
. The government needs to put people over process, and fast 
!
. But what really gets me is how some senior officials are still making promises without following through on them. It's like they're just making blancmange 
thousands of unpaid carers are getting hammered with huge bills because of DWP errors and it's just so unfair 
They've got a culture of complacency that's left thousands of unpaid carers in a financial stranglehold 
The fact that they're still denying responsibility and blaming the claimants themselves is just ridiculous 
. and to think they're mostly already living in poverty, so now they gotta deal with even more debt? it's like the system is working against them 
.
. if he can't get it right after six years, what makes me think he'll do any better now? 
.