Fears thousands wrongly told to pay back pandemic benefits

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( July 25, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Fears thousands wrongly told to pay back pandemic benefits]( Nearly 15,000 people say they have been wrongly ordered to pay back universal credit payments, as the government attempts to claw back £500m in pandemic benefit handouts. Many have been told to repay the money in error simply because they missed phone calls or messages from the Department of Work and Pensions requesting evidence as it carries out retrospective checks, according a charity supporting claimants. The department has told 125,000 people that they were not eligible for the payments, with most being told they owe thousands of pounds, after it suspended face-to-face identity checks at the start of the Covid crisis. The government has admitted that if an individual “does not provide evidence/fully engage in the process” they could be considered to have received an overpayment. Some have been pursued by private debt collectors. Around 14,500 people are appealing against the payback orders.   2 / [Sunak and Truss to have first head-to-head debate in premiership race]( Pair will clash over tax and immigration in BBC showdown at 9pm today 3 / [Dover becomes ‘hotspot of holiday hell’, but queues easing after three-day gridlock]( The equivalent to more than 200 miles of holidaymaker and freight traffic had been processed through the weekend up until Sunday morning 4 / [Major incident declared and public told to cancel barbecues as wildfires tear across southeast England]( Reports of smoke have erupted across the region as firefighters continue to attempt to bring fires under control 5 / [‘Persistent’ NHS understaffing ‘poses serious risk to staff and patient safety’]( The report said almost every part of the NHS was suffering staff shortages     The Big Question Why did Brexit make the Dover gridlock inevitable? Pure [Brexit]( took effect at 11pm, British time, on 31 December 2020. So why should the decision to leave the [European Union]( suddenly be afflicting travellers who want to return to the EU, albeit temporarily on holiday? Because this is the first real peak weekend for cross-Channel travellers from Dover since the Brexit transition phase ended. [For the full story click here >](   Watch/ [Convoy of drivers block M5 in protest over fuel prices](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 3.8 million – The number of people testing positive for [coronavirus]( has risen to [nearly 3.8 million](, the latest data shows.   QUOTE OF THE DAY “Life is beautiful, and I’ve always lived it to the full. I love art, music, good food and the finest wine. All of these things, and the people around you are what matter most in life.” – D-Day pilot Harry Gamper [who celebrated his 102nd birthday]( attributes his long life to a love of fine wine.       Other stories you might like   [As we reach 150 days of war in Ukraine, what does the future hold?](   [A hammy Renée Zellweger shows us how not to make a true crime series in The Thing About Pam](   [Japan volcano eruption: Citizens evacuated as ‘highest alert’ issued](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Andrew Grice, The Independent - [Boris Johnson needs to avoid the big mistake of previously ousted PMs](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.