Clemency Jacques, who cares for her disabled son Alex and elderly mother, said she was given the choice of paying the charge or risking police arrest and a court appearance after running up a £2,600 carer's allowance overpayment.
Jacques who has described the offer of an administrative penalty as "like blackmail" - has now been told by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that the charge will not be applied, though she must continue to repay the original overpayment.
The former NHS psychologist, whose case was covered by the Guardian last month, is one of 134,500 unpaid carers repaying £251m in carer's allowance overpayments that in many cases accumulated because of DWP administrative failures.
Jacques, 43, of Brighton, said she was disappointed the terse DWP letter waiving the administrative penalty did not apologise for its treatment of her or explain why officials have reversed their original decision to threaten her with prosecution.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin September 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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