Written answers

Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Fraud Investigations

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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267. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the social media pages of those social welfare payment recipients who are under investigation for benefit fraud or regarding concerns that they are not actively seeking work are regularly monitored by benefit fraud inspectors to assist with any investigations against them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26643/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department recognises the popularity and potential value of social media for communicating with customers and acknowledges that these tools can bring benefits. Whilst not a systematic part of the Department's on-going targeted control activities, staff will occasionally refer to social media sites as part of investigations, for example to follow up on reports from members of the public referring to information on various sites.

Staff who have access to social media sites for official purposes are vigilant regarding their use of such sites and ensure that, at all times, their usage is lawful and in keeping with the Department’s policies. Details obtained from social media in these circumstances are examined and, where relevant, may be used as part of an overall investigation. A payment is not suspended or stopped on the basis of social media site posting but the information may be used a part of the evidence gathered to review a customer’s on-going entitlement. It is important to note that in the context of the overall number of control reviews undertaken last year, investigations which refer to social networking sites would have been negligible.

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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268. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline step-by-step the investigation process that is undertaken by her Department when a concerned Irish citizen reports a person they are concerned is committing benefit fraud; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26644/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department receives reports of possible fraud from members of the public in relation to the operation of its schemes. All anonymous or confidential reports are examined and, where the information is relevant, they are referred to scheme areas or Inspectors for follow-up action. While it is important to note that a payment is not suspended or stopped on the basis of an anonymous report, it may “trigger” a review of a customer’s entitlement. Depending on the circumstances of the case, a Social Welfare Inspector may deem it appropriate to carry out a full review of the circumstances and means of the customer. S/he will then submit their report to a Deciding Officer for decision regarding the individual’s on-going entitlement to the social welfare payment.

Anonymous reports are not available to Deciding Officers when they are making their decisions on cases. The Deciding Officer’s decision must be based on the full facts and circumstances of the case and, as a result, statistics are not available on the number of anonymous reports that result in a decision to reduce or terminate an entitlement.

It should be borne in mind that while there is often a perception of fraud in individual cases, when a case is examined the individual may be doing something that is allowed under the rules of the particular payment that they receiving e.g. it is legitimate for someone to be working and receiving a One Parent Family Payment, provided their earnings are within the limits and the Department is aware of the situation.

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