Young carer who unwittingly breached allowance rules forced to repay £2,000
Rose Jones, 22, said she was twice wrongly advised by her jobcentre work coach that her wages earned under the Kickstart scheme would not affect her eligibility for carer's allowance.
Less than a year after she completed the six-month scheme, under which the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) paid her wages, she received a demand from the DWP demanding she pay back £2,145 of overpaid benefits.
'I was shocked when the letter arrived – it came on my 20th birthday – and I really didn't know what to do. I thought it was a mistake because my work coach had told me it was fine. It was a really scary letter to receive,' Jones said.
The case is the latest in a stream of carer's allowance injustices highlighted by a year- long Guardian investigation and a relatively rare case involving a young carer – most unpaid carers are much older adults.
At least 144,000 UK carers are repaying more than £250m in earnings-related carer's allowance overpayments caused by what MPs said were 'human mistakes' on the part of carers and repeated DWP administrative and policy failures. Thousands of carers have been prosecuted and millions of pounds of public money wasted.
The government last year vowed to reform aspects of carer's allowance after widespread public outrage. It commissioned an independent review of carer's allowance overpayments which is expected to report to ministers in July.
Jones began caring for her mother, who has physical and mental disabilities, at the age of eight, helping around the house and with shopping, looking out for her safety, and accompanying her to hospital appointments.
Being a carer affected her childhood and education, she said: 'I was always quite hesitant to be away from my mum. I'd worry about her all the time when I was at school and struggle to focus. I wouldn't want to go on sleepovers at friends' houses.'
When she turned 16 she started to claim carer's allowance and it was only when she took up a place in 2021 on the DWP's Kickstart scheme aimed at young people at risk of long term unemployment, introduced during Covid in 2020, that it became an issue.
Jones said: 'Before I'd accepted the job [though the Kickstart scheme] I told him [the job coach] I was on carer's allowance and I told him the exact amounts I'd be on and that I'd be working from home so I'd be doing the same amount of caring as always.
'He assured me that he was confident that my carer's allowance would not be affected. I asked him a couple of times, not just one phone call. I checked again after a couple of months once I had started earning my wage, and he reassured me, so I thought at this point everything was fine.'
The demand, when it came, felt massively unjust. 'I'd been told by the work coach it was fine. I'd been a carer for my mum all my teenage years and felt my experiences had just been disregarded.'
Under Kickstart, the DWP paid employers £1,500 a month towards wages and training costs, with participants guaranteed to be paid the equivalent of 25 hours a week at the national minimum wage. In Jones's case, this is £656 a month, which worked out for the purposes of the DWP's earnings rule calculation at £151 a week.
Jones was taken on as a digital marketing assistant by a local firm and under carer's allowance rules was allowed to earn up to £128 a week on top of her carer duties, equivalent to 19.5 hours at the minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds.
Because she had unwittingly breached the weekly earnings limit, carer's allowance rules meant she forfeited her £67.60 carer's allowance. This 'cliff edge' rule meant had she gone even £1 a week over the limit for six months she would have had to repay over £2,000.
Related: 'Something has gone very wrong': how the carers scandal was exposed
Jones said she was frustrated by different branches of the DWP – the jobcentre, the employment section and the carer's allowance unit – which did not seem to be clear on the rules and had not routinely shared information about her case.
She was also shocked that the DWP had known about the earnings breach but had waited months before alerting her, allowing a debt to accrue that will take her years to repay. 'It's left me with a bit of distrust towards the DWP,' she said.
Emily Holzhausen, the director of policy at Carers UK, said: 'It's devastating to see a young person who has had a more challenging start in life be badly let down by the DWP.
'It's not the first time that hard-pressed carers have been given the wrong information by people working for the DWP; the very people they trust to get the rules about benefits and entitlements right.
'The fact that the DWP's computer systems don't speak to each other have left many unpaid carers with unacceptable overpayments – despite the DWP having information that could have been used to stop them earlier.'
A DWP spokesperson said: 'We understand the huge difference carers make as well as the struggles so many face.
'The carer's allowance overpayment rate is now the lowest on record and we are increasing funding and bringing in more staff to check 100% of alerts to help prevent carers falling into debt.
'But we want to go further, that's why we've launched an independent review of carer's allowance to explore how earnings-related overpayments have happened and what changes can be made.'
• This article was amended on 15 June 2025. An earlier picture caption called Rose Jones Ruth. Owing to a miscalculation, it also said that she received £164 a week instead of £151 a week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Key advice given as 'network issues' leave patients unable to make 999 calls
Members of the public are being advised to call 999 on their landline due to mobile phone network issues affecting calls to the ambulance service. Customers with major mobile phone companies EE, Vodafone and Three are experiencing issues with services this afternoon (Thursday, July 24). South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust took to social media to inform patients that they had been made aware of difficulties with making and receiving telephone calls in the South West region. 🚨 Please see the below message regarding ongoing issues with some mobile phone providers, and the impact it is having on calling #999 🔽 — South Western Ambulance Service (@swasFT) July 24, 2025 They are advising patients experiencing issues with their mobile phone provider to either use a landline or use a different mobile phone network. "We have been made aware that some mobile phone networks are experiencing issues with making and receiving telephone calls in the South West region. Read more Inside the cheapest property currently on the market in Swindon In the Dock: Stolen engagement ring, drunk and disorderly and poaching Pedestrian hospitalised after crash with car on busy A-road "We are engaging with partners to urgently address this however we know this outage is impacting on the ability to make 999 calls. "We are advising the public to please use a landline or try a different mobile network, where difficulties are found, to call 999. "Once calls are connected, our systems are working normally." The mobile phone companies say they are investigating the issues and hope to have an update as soon as possible.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pelvic floor training can help active women avoid exercise-related symptoms
Are you a woman who exercises regularly? If so, here's a vital question: do you train your pelvic floor muscles as part of your routine? If the answer is no, now's the time to start. It's never too late to protect yourself from pelvic floor dysfunction – and the benefits go far beyond avoiding leaks. The pelvic floor is a complex hammock of muscles and ligaments stretching from the front of your pelvis to your tailbone. It weaves around the urethra, vagina and anus, supporting the pelvic organs and helping them stay in the right place. These muscles are essential for bladder and bowel control, sexual function and core stability. In fact, your pelvic floor works alongside the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and back muscles in what's known as the 'core canister' or 'core rectangle.' Together, they help stabilise the spine, protect internal organs, and support movement, especially in high-impact or strength-based activities. How does sport affect pelvic floor health? Many sports rely heavily on core strength. Running, jumping, lifting and full-contact sports like rugby all demand stability, control and muscular endurance. But they also place significant strain on the pelvic floor. That's why pelvic floor dysfunction is surprisingly common among sportswomen. Around one in two women in the UK will experience pelvic floor symptoms at some point in their lives – but rates are even higher among female athletes. A 2024 study of female rugby players found that 63% experienced pelvic floor dysfunction serious enough to affect both their performance and daily life, often requiring physiotherapy or specialist support. Movements such as jumping, running, landing and breath-holding during exertion all increase intra-abdominal pressure, which pushes down on the pelvic floor. Without proper conditioning, these muscles can become strained or fatigued, especially if they're weaker than the surrounding core muscles. Endurance sports can also take their toll, causing the pelvic floor to repeatedly contract under pressure. Like any muscle, the pelvic floor is susceptible to overuse injuries and needs time to recover. Pelvic floor dysfunction can show up in several ways, including leaking urine or faeces during exercise, coughing or sneezing; disrupted bowel habits; a heavy or dragging feeling in the lower abdomen or vagina; pain during sex; a bulging sensation or visible tissue in the vaginal area; and pelvic organ prolapse. These symptoms may appear during exercise – or at rest – and often worsen over time without the right support or training. Exercise can help with pelvic floor dysfunction – only if the pelvic floor is actively and effectively engaged. Many workouts target the abs or general core, but if the pelvic floor isn't included with the same intensity, muscular imbalances can develop. Combined with gravity and high-impact movement, this puts the pelvic floor at greater risk of dysfunction. The good news? The pelvic floor responds well to training. With regular, focused practice, these muscles become stronger, more coordinated and more resilient – helping to prevent dysfunction and even aiding recovery after childbirth. How to train your pelvic floor Not sure where to start? Here's a simple exercise: Imagine you're holding in wind – gently contract your anus. Next, squeeze your urethra as if stopping a flow of urine. Now, lift upwards through the vagina. Hold the contraction for a few seconds (or as long as you comfortably can), then release. That's one pelvic floor contraction: well done! Try doing a few reps at a time, and gradually build up. You can incorporate these into your run, add them to your core workout, or practise them during rest days or cool-downs. The goal is to make pelvic floor training a regular part of your routine. Your pelvic floor deserves just as much attention as your abs, glutes or quads. If you're a woman who exercises, training these deep core muscles can boost your performance, reduce your risk of injury and support your overall health now and in the future. So next time you lace up your trainers or hit the gym, don't forget your pelvic floor. Your body will thank you. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Holly Ingram does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands of cancer cases could be prevented with more breast removal surgeries
Thousands of breast cancer cases could potentially be prevented if more women were offered 'risk reducing' breast removal surgery, a study suggests. Breast removal surgery, also known as a mastectomy, is offered to treat breast cancer in some women. It can also be offered to women who are deemed to be high risk of the disease to prevent them from getting it in the first place. A study has found that if more women were given preventative mastectomies, then about 6,500 cases of breast cancer could be prevented each year. Risk-reducing mastectomies (RRM) are currently only offered to women with the BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 genes, experts said. But the new analysis suggests that some women with other genes linked to a higher risk of breast cancer – including ATM, CHEK2, RAD51C, RAD51D – who may also be at higher risk due to a number of other factors may benefit from RRM if they are assessed as having a high risk of disease. These other factors can include a family history of breast cancer, the number of children they have had, whether or not they breast fed and mammogram density. Women in the UK have an 11% chance of developing breast cancer across their lifetime. Medics can calculate a woman's risk of breast cancer using tools which combine the effect of various risk factors. This is your breast check reminder! Learn the signs and symptoms of breast — Breast Cancer Now (@BreastCancerNow) May 6, 2025 Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that if health officials could identify all women aged 30 to 55 who have a 35% or higher risk of breast cancer, and they all went on to have RRM, then an estimated 6,538 breast cancer cases could be prevented in the UK each year. This is the equivalent of around 11% of the 59,000 women in the UK who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The academics point out that women who have one of the other genes linked to breast cancer, who may be at high risk of disease, could potentially be found by a mechanism called 'cascade testing' – where genetic tests are offered to family members of women who have been found to have these different genes linked to breast cancer. The economic evaluation study, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, concludes: 'Undergoing RRM appears cost-effective for women at 30-55 years with a lifetime BC-risk 35% (or more). 'The results could have significant clinical implications to expand access to RRM beyond BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 pathogenic variant carriers.' Corresponding author on the paper, Professor Ranjit Manchanda, professor of gynaecological oncology at Queen Mary and consultant gynaecological oncologist, said: 'We for the first time define the risk at which we should offer RRM. 'Our results could have significant clinical implications to expand access to mastectomy beyond those patients with known genetic susceptibility in high penetrance genes- BRCA1/ BRCA2/ PALB2 – who are traditionally offered this. 'This could potentially prevent can potentially prevent (around) 6500 breast cancer cases annually in UK women. 'We recommend that more research is carried out to evaluate the acceptability, uptake, and long-term outcomes of RRM among this group'. Dr Rosa Legood, associate professor in health economics at LSHTM, added: 'Undergoing RRM is cost-effective for women (aged) 30 to 55-years with a lifetime breast cancer risk of 35% or more. 'These results can support additional management options for personalised breast cancer risk prediction enabling more women at increased risk to access prevention.' Women deemed to be at high risk of breast cancer can also be offered regular screening and medication. Louise Grimsdell, Breast Cancer Now senior clinical nurse specialist, said: 'While this modelling provides valuable insights into the cost-effectiveness of risk-reducing mastectomy for women with a high risk of developing breast cancer, each individual must be offered all risk-management options that are suitable for them. 'Choosing to have risk-reducing surgery is a complex and deeply personal decision that comes with emotional and physical implications. 'So, it's vital women can consider all their options, including screening and risk-reducing medications, and are supported by their clinician to make an informed decision that's right for them. 'It's also crucial that the unacceptably long waits that far too many women who chose risk-reducing surgery are facing are urgently tackled.'
