Government’s top welfare official to step down

Peter Schofield’s departure for personal reasons comes after weeks of fierce criticism of DWP over carer’s allowance scandalThe government’s top welfare official is to step down after weeks of fierce criticism of his department’s handling of a longstanding benefits failure that plunged thousands into debt and became known as the carer’s allowance scandal.Sir Peter Schofield, the permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, announced to staff on Monda