Cited in UK press coverage of health & social care
13 citations
Across 2 topics, first on 27 Aug 2026.
Biography
Liz Sayce OBE is a Visiting Professor in Practice at the LSE International Inequalities Institute and a Non-Executive Member of the North Central London Integrated Care Board. She was Chief Executive of Disability Rights UK (and its legacy charity Radar) from 2007 to 2017, leading work on independent living, career opportunities, and shifts in cultural attitudes towards disability. She was appointed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to lead the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance Overpayments, which started in December 2024 and reported in July 2025; the review found that carers had accrued unexpected debts partly due to errors in how DWP applied earnings-averaging rules, and recommended a range of operational and systemic reforms. She previously served as interim Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee (August 2019–August 2020) and has published widely on mental health, disability, and social participation, including a 2011 government-commissioned review of disability employment programmes. Earlier career roles include Policy Director of Mind and Director of Policy and Communications at the Disability Rights Commission.
References
- 1.Liz Sayce OBE – GOV.UK — Current roles, career history, appointment to lead Carer's Allowance overpayments review, former CEO of Disability Rights UK, SSAC interim chair, LSE visiting professor
- 2.Independent Review of Carer's Allowance Overpayments – GOV.UK — Full text of review authored by Liz Sayce OBE, dated 21 July 2025, published 25 November 2025
- 3.Government to launch independent review into Carer's Allowance overpayments – GOV.UK press release — Confirms Sayce as review lead, describes her as former Disability Rights UK Chief Executive and visiting professor in practice at LSE
- 4.Liz Sayce – LSE people page — Confirms visiting professor role at LSE International Inequalities Institute, career history including Disability Rights UK CEO 2007–2017, 2011 disability employment review, SSAC vice chair role
- 5.
Expertise
Cited on
Stated areas of expertise
- Disability rights and policy
- Carer's Allowance and benefits reform
- Disability employment support
- Mental health policy
- Social security and welfare policy
- Independent living and social participation
Notable achievements
- Led the Independent Review of Carer's Allowance Overpayments (commissioned December 2024, reported July 2025), whose recommendations the government accepted, including reassessing and writing off debts in certain cases — described as unprecedented. Source ↗
- Led the 2011 government-commissioned independent review of specialist disability employment programmes ('Getting in, staying in and getting on'), whose recommendations the coalition government accepted, including expanding Access to Work. Source ↗
- Served as interim Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee from August 2019 to August 2020. Source ↗
What they’ve said
“Drawn up by the disability policy expert Liz Sayce, it was handed over to ministers at the end of July.”
disability policy expert · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · Government considering compensation for victims of carer’s allowance scandal ↗
“This wasn't wilful rule-breaking – it simply wasn't clear what earnings fluctuations carers should report.”
disability policy expert · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · DWP to reassess hundreds of thousands of cases in carer’s allowance scandal ↗
“This shame is experienced as the polar opposite of the recognition carer's allowance aims to offer to unpaid carers who are regularly described by the government as 'unsung heroes'.”
Disability rights expert and author of the review · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · Ministers urged to apologise after review finds systemic failures led to carer’s allowance crisis ↗
“Rather than being penalised where negligence is demonstrated, the approach assumes negligence as a default.”
Author of independent review of carer's allowance system · Adult social care & reform · 27 Aug 2026 · ‘Outdated and ever less fit for purpose’: five takeaways from the carer’s allowance report ↗
Source references
- Government considering compensation for victims of carer’s allowance scandaltheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
- DWP to reassess hundreds of thousands of cases in carer’s allowance scandaltheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
- Ministers urged to apologise after review finds systemic failures led to carer’s allowance crisistheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
- ‘Outdated and ever less fit for purpose’: five takeaways from the carer’s allowance reporttheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
- Senior DWP civil servant blames victims for carer’s allowance scandal
Contact & links
- Staff pagehttps://www.lse.ac.uk/people/liz-sayce
- Staff pagehttps://www.gov.uk/government/people/liz-sayce
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