A damning review into the Carer's Allowance scandal has been released, highlighting the heartbreaking ordeals faced by unpaid carers at the hands of the Department for Work and Pensions. Among those speaking out is Vivienne Groom, who was threatened with prison over claims she unlawfully received benefits.
A Carer's Nightmare: Accused and Threatened
Vivienne Groom received Carer's Allowance for looking after her mother, a vital support for many across the UK. However, the DWP accused her of unlawfully claiming nearly £17,000 in benefits. Ms Groom was told she faced jail for benefit fraud, a threat that has left her and others in the caring community terrified.
"It was just horrendous," Ms Groom told the Guardian. "They didn't want to listen at all." The situation escalated when a DWP solicitor reportedly told her it was her "word against theirs and that any record of this call had probably got lost in the system."
Fighting for Justice and Drawing Parallels
Ms Groom says she welcomes the Sayce review but is demanding concrete action from the DWP. Her demands include an official apology, a reimbursement of the disputed amount, compensation, and the quashing of her criminal conviction. "I would welcome that with open arms," she said, while acknowledging that resolution may take years, a process she compares to the Post Office scandal.
The case has drawn further attention through a GoFundMe page, which reveals that even though Vivienne was already repaying the money, the DWP froze her bank account and pursued her entire inheritance after her mother died.
A System in Urgent Need of Reform
Charities and experts are echoing the call for immediate change. Emily Holzhausen, the director of policy and public affairs at Carers UK, stated: "The whole DWP system surrounding the carer's allowance earnings limit needs sorting out urgently." She emphasised the need to increase the earnings limit and modernise the processes, describing the impact on carers as "heart-rending," with profound effects on their mental health and finances.
The Guardian, which has extensively reported on the scandal, credited the Labour government for ordering the review and raising the earnings threshold. The allowance is now lost when claimants earn more than £196 a week after tax. However, the newspaper's editorial stressed that ministers and officials still have "a great deal more work to do" to fix a broken system.
