Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures that prevent workers continuing to claim jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit, despite not being resident here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34497/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Up until recently people signing for a jobseekers payment were offered a choice of payment method. They could collect it at a post office of their choice or have it paid directly to their bank or building society account.

Late last year there were indications that a number of foreign jobseekers had returned to their own country but were continuing to have their payment made by Electronic Funds Transfer to their bank account. Officials in the Department carried out an investigation of non-Irish national jobseekers and found that a significant number of them were no longer living at their stated address or were claiming a level of benefit to which they were not entitled. This is clearly an abuse of our welfare system and threatens the public finances at a time when all budgets are under pressure.

The Department therefore decided that from 7 July 2008, all new jobseekers must be paid at a post office. Each weekly payment at a post office is available only for a limited period and if not collected within a matter of a few days it reverts to the Department. In such situation, the person is required to attend at the local social welfare office to have payment reinstated.

The measures that have been put in place to restrict the availability of payment directly to a bank account virtually eliminates the possibility of a person being absent from the country while claiming a jobseekers payment and should have the effect of minimising the risk of abuse of the system and overpayment of benefits.

Officials in the Department will be intensifying their control activities over the coming months in order to ensure that only those who have an entitlement are paid the appropriate amount. They will monitor residency for both non-Irish nationals and Irish people who are signing on through regular home visits by Inspectors. They will also be monitoring people who having been receiving payment to a bank account prior to the introduction of these new arrangements, to ensure that they continue to satisfy the conditions for payment.