DWP told to 'act better' as vulnerable benefit claimants hounded for up to £20,000 in repayments

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) came under fire this morning (April 25), when a former government adviser went on BBC Breakfast to criticise the way the benefits body treats vulnerable people.

Former dementia adviser Johnny Timpson OBE said he resigned from his position yesterday, while citing the case of a 92-year-old dementia sufferer hounded, who he said had been asked to pay back £7,000 in benefits.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "We need to up our scrutiny of the DWP to make sure that they are acting better on behalf of taxpayers." READ MORE: Martin Lewis has seven tips for 365,000 workers who are being 'short-changed' The DWP chases thousands of people for benefits that they overpaid each year, but there has been a rise in older and more vulnerable people being chased for eye-watering sums of up to £20,000.

This is because many of those with caring responsibilities, who give up a large part of their week to look after someone else for free, are mistakenly falling foul of the Carer's Allowance threshold.