Carers having to pay back thousands is very wrong, says Keir Starmer
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor from World news | The Guardian on (#6M3DC)
Labour leader was responding to a question from the BBC about Vivienne Groom, who was prosecuted over breach of benefit rules
Keir Starmer has called for fairer treatment of unpaid carers plunged into poverty after being forced to pay back thousands of pounds - and in some cases facing criminal prosecution - for minor breaches of benefit rules.
Last week the Guardian revealed thousands of carers had run up big debts, were given criminal records and forced to sell their homes when chased by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over honest mistakes" that officials could have spotted years earlier.
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