Anti-Fraud Measures Save Over Two Hundred Million Euro In Social Welfare Payments

Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin T.D., has reported savings of over €228 million which have been achieved across her Department's schemes through fraud and control measures. 

In the first six months of the year some 328,000 individual claims for social welfare payments were reviewed by Departmental officials.

Reviews of One Parent Family payments accounted for over €55 million savings, followed by Pensions savings of over €45 million and over €40 million through Illness payments. 

Savings in Jobseekers claims were almost €30 million, with over 67,000 claims reviewed while there were over 114,000 Child Benefit payment claims reviewed resulting in savings of almost €39 million. 

In addition to these claims almost 800 employers underwent PRSI inspections to check their compliance, with 77% found to be fully compliant. 

Minister Hanafin said "preventing possible fraud or overpayment from the earliest possible stage in a claim is a key element of the work undertaken by the 620 staff across the Department who are working in areas related to control of fraud and abuse of the welfare system.

"Staff currently engaged in the means testing of new claims, for payments such as Jobseekers Allowance, are ensuring that current scarce resources are being provided for those who most need it. 

"A critical element of putting all claims into payment is ensuring that the right payment is going to the right person only for the period they are entitled to it. This is a vital element of the on-going control work."

Minister Hanafin said that a major new feature of countering possible fraud was the massive increase in reports of suspected abuse of the social welfare system, being reported by members of the public.  "In the first six months of this year 2,581 reports were received in the Central Control Section of the Department, compared with just 362 in the same period last year," she said. "While not all of the cases being reported can be followed up, due to insufficient information or no claim being in payment, each and every report made by a member of the public is followed up by the appropriate area to assess if action is necessary."

The Minister said that various state agencies and bodies are continuing to provide information to the Department of Social and Family Affairs which can be used to data match and cross check at initial claim stage and for on-going eligibility for entitlement. 

Minister Hanafin said "data matching is a very effective method of identifying high risk claims for review and is an example of good cross-departmental co-operation.

"Existing legislation provides that relevant information could be matched in particular once off targeted operations in an industry or through one to one data exchanges for a particular case. There is also good cross border co-operation regarding investigations."

Minister Hanafin concluded by saying that "a massive number of claims are being reviewed by staff across the Department. 

"This year 16 additional Social Welfare Inspectors have been appointed, bringing the total number of general Inspectors working across the country to almost 400, of which 87 inspectors are attached to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) working full-time on control. These additional resources will help continue to tackle abuse of our system which needs to respond to the challenge of ever increasing demands."