The DWP has been forced to scrap the benefits cap for people who get carer’s allowance after being defeated in the courts two months ago. The U-turn was announced yesterday by welfare reform minister, Lord Freud.{jcomments on}
The government had fought tooth and nail to penalise full time carers, even spending over £50,000 in legal fees to try to prevent one carer winning their court case. The DWP argued that people spending 35 hours or more a week caring should be considered workless and should be obliged to choose whether to get a job or reduce their outgoings.
Even after the judge ruled that the cap on carers was a breach of their human rights the DWP put out an urgent bulletin saying that the cap would remain.
But today, the DWP, who like Freud made no mention of having lost the judicial review case, told the Guardian today that:
“In recognition of the hugely important contribution carers make to society, we will be exempting all recipients of carer’s allowance from the benefit cap.”
