Carer support organisation welcomes move to clear unpaid carer debts
Government will be refunding, reducing or cancelling debts of unpaid carers caused by confusion over earnings guidance rules
An organisation supporting unpaid carers in Wiltshire says a Government move to reduce, write off or refund debts for carers is an "incredibly positive" outcome.
A review of historical payments has been carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after tens of thousands were left owing money in the wake of "confusing" guidance on earnings.
Campaigners have labelled the issue of people being penalised for exceeding earning limits by even a few pence as a "scandal".
Kirsten Kerr, Service Delivery Manager for Carers Together Wiltshire (CTW), told us the rules lacked clarity.
"They carers give up a lot of their time to care for their loved ones, their families and friends. And a lot of those carers balance that alongside work. And unfortunately, they found themselves in debt to the DWP with rules that were unclear and unfair."
An independent review led by former charity boss Liz Sayce concluded last November that many carers felt they were “treated as criminals, with resulting feelings of fear and shame”.
Ministers accepted 38 out of 40 recommendations in the report, which found that between 2015 and summer 2025, carer’s allowance guidance was “ill-defined” and “systemic flaws” prevented many from properly reporting their earnings.
Further reform on the way
The Government says about half of the promised changes have already been made, with further reforms under way to modernise the benefit and prevent similar problems in future.
Kirsten said that's encouraging, stressing that it's vital to ease the burden of financial concerns for carers, saying they're often the hardest hit during financial struggles.
She told us CTW would like to see reforms to carers allowance to provide better support, enable flexible working and remove cliff edge rules, whilst recognising the value unpaid carers bring.
"We believe either a higher earning threshold or a tapered system rather than the hard cut-off would benefit carers. The tapered system would better support flexible part-time working which many carers rely on," she said.
Call for carers to reach out
Being a carer can take many different forms. It can be support for someone who can't manage without help, such as an older person or someone with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Kirsten told us there are lots of people in Wiltshire who many not recognise themselves as carers, but she said it's vital carers reach out early for help.
"It's much better to get support early on in your journey," she said. "We find that that builds resilience in carers. The more help you get at early stages to help you manage the caring responsibility, the better outcomes for you. Don't leave it until you're in crisis. Get in touch before so that we can get some regular help for you."
CTW provides debt advice for carers, but also makes a carer's assessment, a statutory right, to see what help can be provided by Wiltshire Council, with whom the organisation works alongside.
They also offer around 40 carers cafés across the county where people can find peer support, while trained volunteers can provide information or referrals for carer assessments.
Kirsten said: "We're six organisations who have all come together to provide that support to carers. So we've got support for people living with dementia.
"We've got specialist advice through Citizens Advice. We've got Age UK who are experts in supporting older people. So we all bring our partnership skills together to make sure that those carers get the wraparound support they need."