Written Answers. - Live Register Fraud.
Pat Rabbitte
Question:
53
Mr. Rabbitte
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
his assessment of the level of fraud regarding people on the Live Register; his views on whether fraud is a serious problem at his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[20107/01]
My Department has a comprehensive control programme in place to ensure that fraud and abuse is kept to a minimum and that only those who are entitled to a payment actually receive it. All Department staff who are involved in making payments are aware of and concerned with the prevention of incorrect payments and the detection of abuse. In addition there are some 600 staff who are specifically involved in control activity as members of scheme control units, investigators or medical assessors.
The investigative staff and control units, one of which works in conjunction with the Revenue Commissioners, carry out inspections of employers, investigate cases of concurrent working and claiming, assess means in non-contributory cases and review the ongoing entitlement of recipients. In the case of unemployment payments all new claimants are made aware of the conditions governing receipt of payment and their obligation in regard to availability for and genuinely seeking work and these aspects continue to be reviewed on a regular basis during the claim's duration.
Under the employment action plan, persons who reach various duration thresholds on the live register are identified and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to job placement or offer of training. This programme now covers all persons under 25 years at six months on the live register and those from 25 to 54 years at nine months on the live register.
The total savings from the Department's control programme, which embraces a vast range of activities to prevent, deter and detect fraud, abuse and omissions in the various schemes, amounted to some £214 million in the year 2000 of which £106.95 million was in respect of unemployment payments. The total of overpayments in respect of fraud or suspected fraud amounted to £11.25 million representing 12,625 cases – of these £7.4 million representing 11,493 cases were in respect of unemployment payments.
In the nature of fraud, especially social welfare fraud, it is exceedingly difficult to offer a definitive assessment of its prevalence. However, having regard to the efforts employed by my Department to discourage fraudulent claiming in the first instance and the rigorous and sustained activation of a multi-faceted control programme I am confident that everything possible is being done to minimise fraud and fraudulent opportunities generally.
All cases of social welfare fraud by individuals or failure by employers to comply with their legal obligations are considered for criminal prosecution. Last year a total of 269 cases, of which 220 were in respect of unemployment customers, were referred to the Chief State Solicitor's office for legal proceedings. Of these 213 cases were finalised and a conviction was obtained in all except 14 cases.
So far as I am concerned, social welfare fraud at any level is not acceptable and apart from the obligation to protect taxpayers' money I am concerned to ensure that compliant employers, employees and scheme recipients are not disadvantaged.
For that reason the effectiveness of the control approach is regularly monitored and adjustments made as appropriate.
