A Guardian investigation revealed how hundreds of thousands of people were plunged into debt – and some criminalised – for looking after their loved ones

<p>A series reporting on unpaid carers in the UK who are being plunged into debt and prosecuted for fraud by the Department for Work and Pensions over&nbsp;its own benefit&nbsp;overpayments</p>

The Paul Foot Award is an award given for investigative or campaigning journalism, set up in memory of revered journalist Paul Foot, who died in 2004.

Editorial: New rules for checking overpayments are a milestone. But deep concerns remain about the DWP’s approach

Department previously investigated only 50% of earnings limit alerts, meaning many carers fell into debt

Women with disabilities are the biggest minority group in the world, but are still shut out of society. In an extract from her new book, the writer reveals how that is changing – and what more needs t...

Those who lose benefit payments will find it difficult to access care and support services, says Policy in Practice

Exclusive: Councils say multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support

Three people tell how knock-on impact of losing Pip on carer’s allowance and other benefits will affect their families

David Lodge died after being found next to his father and full-time carer Peter’s body. His sister Keri believes the strain of caring and lack of government support contributed to their deaths

Disability charities call foul as welfare secretary buries austerity-like news under earnest talk of reform

White paper being prepared as councils hope for relief from huge deficits in special educational needs budgets

Guardian analysis lays bare a neglected system that is ruinously expensive, and often fails children and parents

White paper being prepared as councils hope for relief from huge deficits in special educational needs budgets

Exclusive: Liz Kendall confirms government will no longer back controversial ‘computer says yes’ system

Exclusive: Liz Kendall confirms government will no longer back controversial ‘computer says yes’ system

Exclusive: Charity says it has made drastic changes to safeguard future as Guardian finds it spent £100m more than it raised over last six years

Andrea Tucker has overturned the demand for £4,600 in carer’s allowance overpayments for alleged breaches in benefit rules

Letters: Labour’s focus on crackdowns and fraudsters lodges in the psyche, feeding precarity and self-doubt, says Dr Jay Watts. Plus a letter from Stephanie O’Brien

Scrapping two-child benefit cap is among levers Rachel Reeves could pull – yet chancellor remains silent on ‘shameful’ levels of poverty

‘It takes the little people to stand up,’ says Andrea Tucker, who was told to repay £4,600 after caring for mother for 15 years

There may be no nasty impulse to punish ‘skivers’, but the end result – the most vulnerable hit hardest – is exactly the same, says columnist Frances Ryan

Charity worker with the homeless whose imprisonment under the Misuse of Drugs Act caused an international outcry

Angela Rayner says government ‘under no illusions’ as cash-strapped authorities try to avoid bankruptcy

Annual sector review says tax and wage rises and council funding cuts have left services in ‘state of acute precarity’

Experts say it is inevitable government will let English local authorities exceed 5% cap if they are likely to go bust

Staffer told by official it would be inappropriate for him to give evidence to review of scandal-hit benefit

Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls for benefits changes amid pressure on Labour to scrap two-child benefit cap

Rosy is unable to move, breathe or eat unassisted. Yet NHS assessors think it’s fine to leave her alone for hours at a time, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

Tenant challenged procedure after £500 docked from universal credit payment at landlord’s request, with whom he was in dispute over repairs

A proposed new law will also give ministers greater powers to request bank account information.

Editorial: Liz Kendall needs a policy to match her rhetoric on helping claimants back into work

Peers call on Labour to carry out ‘fundamental review’ amid rising concerns over retention of Tory plans for £3bn in cuts