Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Social Protection the level of overpayments recorded by her Department in social welfare payments in each of the years 2007 to 2012 inclusive in tabular form; if she will provide a breakdown of these overpayments by individual social welfare scheme; the process in place to prevent such over payment; the reasons overpayments occur; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4356/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. Overpayments are generally defined as money obtained contrary to or in excess of a valid decision. Most overpayments arise as a result of a revised decision regarding entitlement. Deciding officers decide the effective date of a revised decision having regard to the new facts or new evidence and the circumstances of the case. An overpayment is assessed for the period that a client was not entitled to a payment and the recovery of the overpayment is followed up by the relevant section of the Department.

The Department has comprehensive control strategies in place across the various scheme areas which are designed to control fraud and abuse and minimise overpayments. Where overpayments do occur, it is the Department’s policy is to actively pursue the recovery of debt in order to maximise recovery levels, with due regard to value for money. Current measures to control fraud and abuse and minimise overpayments include desk reviews of claim papers, home visits, the issue of mail-shots to selected customers, database checking, and medical reviews in the case of illness payments.

Controls are exercised at both the initial claim stage and at subsequent stages during the claim life cycle. Claims are reviewed on a regular and targeted basis. Means tested payments are reviewed at certain intervals or when there are indications of changes in circumstances. Those in receipt of illness payments are called for a medical examination by the Department's medical assessors. Customers in receipt of unemployment payments are checked on an on-going basis to verify continued compliance with such requirements as being available for and genuinely seeking employment. In general, the main causes of overpayments recorded are means/income not disclosed and concurrently working and claiming. The value of overpayments recorded from 2007 to 2011 are set out below.

The Department is not in a position to publicly comment on overpayments recorded in 2012 as these figures form part of the statutory accounts of the Department and are currently the subject of an audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.