Through an extensive review of over 630,000 social welfare applications, the State has achieved a financial saving totaling €526m. This process also unveiled hundreds of potential identity fraud instances. In the previous year’s social welfare plan, it was discovered that overpayments had amounted to approximately €115m. The Department of Social Protection promptly took steps to recover these funds, with nearly €88m being repaid in the last year alone.
The Department employs several teams dedicated to conducting investigations. These teams have a mandate to explore aspects such as means-tested income support applications and adherence to payment related Social Insurance regulations, such as employment categorisation. This intensive process resulted in in-depth investigations of over 91,000 cases across all welfare schemes in 2023, resulting in savings of around €66.1 million.
A specialised division assists with suspected fraud cases, given further support by associated officers from An Garda Síochána. These officers, specifically assigned to deal with intricate investigations, undertook more than 16,200 investigations last year which yielded savings of up to €62.9 million.
Another investigative group, the Employment Status Investigation Unit, consists of 18 inspectors dedicated to verifying the employment designation of workers. This team commonly receives tips and tasks from various stakeholders including customers, employees, employers, and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. Over the previous year, the unit investigated over 330 new employers and interviewed more than 1,000 individual employees.
In addition, 325 cases suspected of identity fraud were independently investigated. Appropriate verifications are routinely undertaken at the time of each welfare application and subsequent reviews to avoid fraud. These “control reviews” implemented across all welfare schemes assess the eligibility of users through home visits by inspectors when deemed necessary and data cross-verification with other departments and records.
The Department of Social Protection reiterates the necessity for clients to notify them of any alterations in their situations. They clarified, “The rate of payment to which a client is qualified can be affected even by minute shifts in income or kinship scenarios.”