The grandmother of five has been bedbound for two years, the result of a collapsed vertebra and other health problems including vascular dementia, heart failure and kidney disease.
She relies on round-the-clock care from her son Andrew Kasparis, 66, who lives with her and has been her full-time carer since December 2019. That is when Andrew started receiving roughly £50 a week, known as the carer's element of universal credit, from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to look after her.
At this point, the rules state, Kasparis should have notified the DWP that her son was receiving this small weekly allowance as it meant she was no longer eligible for the severe disability premium of pension credit she was receiving.
But she failed to do so - and now the DWP is forcing her to pay back almost £13,000 in overpayments it allowed to build for nearly four years. "It was a complete shock," said Andrew, a market analyst.
Denne historien er fra May 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra May 27, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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