Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the pre-retirement disability allowance, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from the Department or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3402/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the jobseeker's allowance, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3403/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the farm assist, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3404/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the maternity adoptive benefit, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3405/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the guardians payment contributory/non-contributory, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3406/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the one parent family payment, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3407/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the deserted wife's - prisoner's wife's allowance, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3408/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 327: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the widow's/widower's surviving civil partner's non-contributory pension, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3409/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the blind pension, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3410/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the carer's allowance, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3411/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 330: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the State pension non-contributory, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3412/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the death benefit, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3413/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 332: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the invalidity pension, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3414/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the carer's benefit, constant attendance allowance, disablement benefit, jobseeker's illness, health and safety injury benefit the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3415/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Social Protection to outline in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the State pension, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; specifically in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to the Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3416/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Social Protection in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the State pension contributory transition, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her Department or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to her Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3921/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Social Protection in respect of the savings achieved by her through control measures in 2011 in respect of the widow's or widower's surviving civil partner's contributory pension and deserted wife's benefit, the number of claimants involved and the total amount of the savings achieved; in respect of each of these claimants if they subsequently received another category of payment from her or were they included as a qualified adult in respect of another person's claim; the actual net savings to her Department when these further payments are taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3922/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 to 334, inclusive, 381 and 382 together.

The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of my Department which processes in excess of 2 million claims each year and makes payments to some 1.4 million people every week at a cost of some €21 billion per annum. However, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of people are receiving the entitlement due to them.

For 2011, my Department had a target of reviewing 780,000 individual welfare claims and achieving €540 million in control savings. At the end of 2011, some €645 million in estimated control savings were reported and over 982,000 reviews had been carried out. For 2012, the target for control savings is set at €625 million, an increase of €85 million on the 2011 target. The table gives a breakdown of the reviews and savings recorded for 2011.

The Deputy should note that control review and savings data in relation to some of the schemes referred to by him are not available individually. For example, Farm Assist and Pre-Retirement Allowance cases are included under the JA/JB figures listed above. Similarly, data for Guardians Payments are included in the figures shown for Widows/Widowers/Survivors and Civil Partners.

Control savings are an estimate of the value of the various control activities across the schemes in payment. Control savings represent an estimate of the value of prevented expenditure on fraudulent claims over a future period. Control savings are not actual monies recovered by the Department but are a good indication of the increase in social welfare expenditure that would occur without these activities taking place. These savings arise as a result of control activity on claims in payment, which result in claims being reduced or stopped. Control savings may also arise from inspections of employers. These activities also have deterrent or knock-on effects, which are not readily quantifiable in monetary terms. Control savings are used as a performance indicator for year-on-year activities.

Actual monies recovered arise where the Department assesses overpayments in individual cases and subsequently recovers those debts. Where, following a review of a claim in payment, it is confirmed that the customer had been receiving a payment to which they were not entitled, or were receiving a payment at a higher rate than they were entitled, a deciding officer makes a revised decision on the entitlement.

Deciding officers decide the effective date of a revised decision having regard to the new facts or evidence and the circumstances of the case. This can result in the assessment of an overpayment. Departmental guidelines relating to the recording of control reviews and activities state that control savings should not be claimed when a customer merely transfers from one of the Department's schemes to another or to a community/employment scheme as a result of control activity, unless there is evidence that he/she was invalidly claiming in the first place. Thus, for example, where a person transfers from Jobseeker's Allowance or One Parent Family Payment to Back to Work Allowance following a review, this should not be counted unless there is evidence that they were invalidly working and claiming beforehand.

The exception to this is where a person ceases payment on one scheme (e.g. Jobseekeer's Allowance) as a result of a control activity and subsequently claims Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). Payments under SWA are discretionary and generally of short duration and in view of this, the Departmental guidelines include those type of cases as control savings. In this context, the Deputy will be aware that responsibility for the Community Welfare Service which administers the SWA scheme transferred to the Department in October 2011. It is intended, therefore, to review the procedures regarding the recording of SWA control savings in these type of instances. In fact, my Department plans on reviewing and validating the whole process of recording control savings later this year.

The control guidelines state that savings are calculated by applying validated multipliers to the difference in the rate of payment before and after the control activity. Therefore, if, as a result of a control review, a qualified adult rate is stopped, while the main payment continues, then it is only the qualified adult rate which would be recorded as a control saving. The control savings figures set out in the table above are those recorded in the manner outlined and are in accordance with the relevant guidelines.