Chris Farrell was given benefit for six months despite his repeated requests for payments to stop A former unpaid carer has urged welfare officials to “get their act together” after they continued to pay him carer’s benefit for six months after the death of his husband, potentially landing him with debts of more than £1,300. Chris Farrell, 65, who claimed carer’s allowance for four years while providing full-time care for his late husband repeatedly tried to get the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop paying him the £86.45 a week benefit. A carer who has accumulated more than £2,000 of unwanted carer’s allowance since their mother went into a care home 10 months ago.