Fraud and error surveys are an integral part of the Department’s overall approach to control and tackling social welfare fraud. The current rolling schedule of fraud and error surveys of social welfare schemes, as set out in the Fraud Initiative, is considered by the Department to be a very important tool for estimating the risk and developing policy measures to tackle fraud and error and monitoring their impact. The outcomes of surveys are analysed and an appropriate control response is developed.
Fraud and Error Surveys are a snapshot of payments on a scheme at a point in time. The surveys identify areas of risk within schemes and the Department takes steps to address, ameliorate and eliminate these risks identified. The information requested by Deputy in respect of fraud and error surveys on various schemes is outlined in the following table:
|
Scheme
|
Year of Survey
|
No. of Cases
|
Estimated Fraud as % of Expenditure on Scheme (based on F&E surveys)
|
Recipients at end of year of survey
|
|
Jobseekers Benefit
|
2011
|
1,000
|
1.6%
|
96,044
|
|
Jobseekers Allowance
|
2012
|
1,000
|
Survey report being finalised
|
294,442
|
|
Illness Benefit
|
2006
|
1,000
|
0.4%
|
65,774
|
|
Disability Allowance
|
2010
|
1,000
|
2.1%
|
101,111
|
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
2014
|
1,000
|
Scheduled for 2014
|
56,568 (August 2013)
|
|
One Parent Family Payment
|
2011
|
1,000
|
2.7%
|
90,307
|
Control savings are not calculated as part of fraud and error surveys. My Department has a comprehensive programme of reviews of customer claims across all social welfare schemes.
