Overpayments remain due as unpaid carers say the chancellor’s plan to scrap allowance cliff edge falls short

How the cliff edge worked

The current rule removes a carer’s entire weekly allowance if earnings exceed the £204 limit. The payment is £86.45 a week, regardless of how slightly a carer goes over the threshold.

Oksana Shahar, who cares for her autistic son Daniel with her husband, Guy, exceeded the limit by an average of £1.92 a week while working part-time minimum-wage jobs. In some weeks, she was paid just 38p above the threshold.

Relief mixed with frustration

Guy Shahar says the government’s decision to abolish the cliff edge sounds positive, but he is concerned about carers who were penalised under the old system. He says they are still being made to pay for having been caught by rules the government recognises were unfair.

Carers have broadly welcomed the move, while acknowledging that reform is progressing slowly. The system’s injustices and poor management contributed to what became known as the carer’s allowance scandal.

Repayments remain a concern

Elizabeth Tait, who cares for her disabled son, Oliver, says the taper is years away and argues that it should be made a priority. She also calls for a wider examination of unpaid care’s role in England’s social care arrangements.

Tait says she did not have to repay the money, though she experienced months of stress. She supports a taper but believes carers treated unfairly by the rules should receive compensation.

Tucker says she tracked her monthly earnings from a part-time charity shop job to avoid crossing the limit. At times, she worked six hours without pay rather than risk losing her allowance.

The cost of overpayments

Tucker describes lasting anger among carers affected by the cliff edge. She says a friend is repaying an overpayment at £10 a month after holiday pay took them £12.50 over the limit.