Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Overpayments

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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219. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way an overpayment decision was determined, providing the details in tabular form for each year, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, in view of the fact that the person's spouse only had one United Kingdom works pension which was previously undeclared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13024/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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An overpayment arises where a revised decision is made by a deciding officer on a claimant’s entitlement resulting in a retrospective reduction in their entitlement.

When a revised decision is made, the claimant is notified and given the opportunity to appeal the decision. Once the right of appeal has been exercised (or not), the Department will then consider the recovery of the overpayment.

In the case mentioned by the Deputy, a revised decision was made on 4 March 2015. The claimant’s means were re-assessed as follows:

-
Effective from
Effective from
Effective from
Effective from
Means
12/01/1999
27/05/2002
21/10/2006
17/12/2008
UK Incapacity Benefit£ 3,113.70 £ 3,627.00 £ -£ -
Pension from employment£ 2,743.41 £ 2,743.00 £ 2,674.36 £ 2,674.36
UK State Pension£ -£-£ 4,082.00 £ 4,071.60
Annual Value in British Pounds£ 5,857.11 £ 6,370.00 £ 6,756.36 £ 6,745.96
Exchange Rate BP£ to Ir£
0.89828
0
0
0
Euro Exchange Rate
0.787564
1.621809
1.2397
1.26091
Annual Value in Euro€ 6,680.50 €10,330.92 € 8,375.86 € 8,506.05
Revised Weekly Means€128.47 €198.67 €161.07 €163.58
Applicable Weekly Means (Half)€ 64 € 99 € 81 € 82
During the period 12 January 1999 to 19 March 2013, the claimant was paid a total amount of €108,432.54. The entitlement for this period, based on the revised means assessment, was €60,914.27. Therefore, the resultant overpayment amounts to €47,518.27.

The claimant wrote to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8 March 2015 requesting a review and stating that they wish to appeal the decision. A deciding officer is currently undertaking a review of the decision. The appeal will be dealt with by the Appeals Office in due course.

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