Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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84. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an alleged overpayment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19623/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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From 31^stJanuary 2014, the person concerned had been in receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance payment of €186 per week. In the course of a review of this claim in June 2014, it was found that certain income from capital had not been declared. Current legislation requires the Department to assess means from the full capital value of any property owned by a claimant apart from the family home.

The person concerned was written to on the 9th July, again on 8th September 2014 and again on 22nd January 2015 requesting further documents in order to assess any possible overpayment. As no reply was received, the client was notified that the total amount paid to him under SWA, i.e. €13,206, would become an overpayment and entered as a debt if the Department was not contacted before 24th February 2015.

Correspondence was received from the person concerned on 3^rdMarch 2015 that included a valuation of the property in question confirming the overpayment of the total amount paid. The total of the overpayment was reduced to €12,328.70 as a result of an inter-scheme adjustment on the award of jobseeker’s allowance. A notification letter was issued on 15^thMay 2015 to this effect. There has been no recoupment to date as the person concerned is not currently claiming a social welfare payment.