Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Newport East constituency have been required to repay Carer’s Allowance as a result of an overpayment in the last 12 months; and how many of those overpayments were as a result of fraudulent claims.

The specific breakdown you have requested is not available. This is because the Department has no business need for a breakdown of this type and therefore our systems do not have this functionality.

The Department is working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring in the first place as they reduce available public funds and can put additional pressure on claimants who are already financially constrained. To that end, we have introduced the Verify Earnings and Pensions system which provides us with up to date earnings information and allows claims to be updated far more quickly.

The Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by informal carers, who provide invaluable support for relatives, partners, friends and neighbours who are ill, frail or disabled.