Man 'put through hell' after losing home to DWP

A man who lost his home after being prosecuted for claiming too much Carer's Allowance says he has "been through hell".

George Henderson claims he made an "honest mistake" by failing to declare his income working as a taxi driver in Leyland, Lancashire.

The 64-year-old had been caring for his son, who has learning difficulties, and received overpayments for a decade.

The government said it was "right" it sought to claim back taxpayers' money.

He was prosecuted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and found guilty of benefit fraud, resulting in a suspended prison sentence with requirements to wear an electronic tag.

Mr Henderson told BBC North West Tonight: "I've ticked a box, mistakenly and honestly, incorrectly. But it took 10 years for them to find that.

"I was degraded as a criminal. I was Jack the lad, laughing, joking, but that's gone."

Mr Henderson re-visited his story after the BBC revealed a similar case of Cheshire woman Vivienne Groom, who lost her inheritance after being prosecuted for the same offence.

Mrs Groom had been caring for her elderly mother but had also worked a minimum wage job at a local Co-op supermarket for about five years.

She claimed she had agreed a re-payment plan with the DWP after receiving a bill for £16,800, however the department decided to prosecute when it learned she was due to inherit £16,000 after her mother died.

On Wednesday, a judge at Chester Crown Court granted the DWP permission to seize that amount under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

It used the same legislation, more commonly used to claw back the criminal assets of drug dealers or money launderers, to force Mr Henderson to sell his house in 2018.

The government has been criticised for allowing such large overpayments to build up in thousands of cases, despite having access to earnings data.

It was also accused of "bullying and harassing" claimants for overpayments in a parliamentary report.

Emily Holzhausen, from the charity Carers UK, told the BBC: "It's not acceptable that people are building these overpayments without necessarily realising.

"It's really important that the government invests in a modern system for carers' allowance."

Mr Henderson, who now lives in supported accommodation in Walton-le-Dale, said: "I had a lovely two-bedroom house, worked hard to keep my home, and they just came and they took it.

"I've been through hell, for five years."

He told the BBC he had attempted suicide and was awaiting trauma therapy.

"As every day goes by, I'm frightened to put my head on the pillow, because I have really bad nightmares," he added.

The DWP said Carer's Allowance claimants have a responsibility to inform it of any changes in their circumstances.

"It is right that we recover taxpayers' money when this has not occurred", a spokesperson said.