Written answers

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Fraud

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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60. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the action he is taking to combat welfare fraud; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2737/17]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The majority of people in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection receive what they are entitled to be paid. Nevertheless, my Department recognises that abuse of the welfare system is an ongoing reality and must be tackled. Anti-fraud measures are set out in the Department’s Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy 2014 – 2018 and are designed to prevent and detect fraud, to ensure effective oversight of schemes, to pursue prosecution of offenders and the recovery of any overpaid entitlements identified. I will be publishing the report on the implementation of the Strategy for the year 2016 before the end of March.

All Departmental staff exercise a control and compliance function in processing new applications and reviewing existing entitlements. The systems used to support schemes are designed to detect wrongful claiming and to highlight anomalies. In addition, the Department’s inspectorate undertakes detailed examination of claims on a risk assessed and random basis. This is supplemented by at least three fraud and error surveys of Departmental schemes annually and by the use of data matching and data analytics techniques.

In addition, my Department’s Special Investigation Unit, which comprises trained inspectors and Garda officers, is tasked with undertaking targeted and systematic examination of claims to tackle fraud and to work with other enforcement agencies to identify more serious breaches of the law.

Cross-functional and targeted actions are undertaken - both internally and in joint operations with other national and international agencies - to ensure a strategic response to high risk sectors or where fraud is considered to be most prevalent. In particular, actions are focused on sectors of the economy where there is a risk of concurrent working and claiming social welfare payments. New forms of fraud continue to be identified and the approach of the Department needs to be sufficiently flexible to combat all threats.

Overall, my Department conducts around one million claim reviews annually comprising customer entitlement enquiries, inspections and special investigations. Early indications for 2016 are that these activities have prevented incorrect expenditure of over half a billion euro, in what my Department refers to as control savings.

The continued roll-out of the Public Services Card has considerably reduced the potential for identity fraud and my Department has deployed identity and analytics software and other intelligence systems to reinforce its fraud prevention work. Members of the public also play an important role in supporting these anti-fraud activities and some 19,000 reports from concerned citizens have been received during 2016. To this end, I plan to launch a fraud awareness campaign over the coming months in recognition of the important role the public plays in this regard.

The value of overpayments recovered has increased steadily in recent years and indications are that approx. €82m was recovered in 2016. This figure is subject to verification.

I am looking at a number of additional anti-fraud measures that I hope to introduce in 2017. These include publishing the names of persons who are convicted of social welfare fraud and applying surcharges on overpayments resulting from fraud.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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