Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2014
94. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount identified by her Department through the detection of overpayments in 2013; the amount of these moneys that has been recouped; the amount that is still outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19853/14]
View answerEnsuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department of Social Protection. The Department processes in excess of 2.3 million claims each year and it makes payments to over 1.5 million people every week.
Overpayments are generally defined as money obtained contrary to - or in excess of - a valid decision. Most overpayments arise as a result of a revised decision regarding entitlement. Deciding officers decide the effective date of a revised decision having regard to the new facts or new evidence and the circumstances of the case. An overpayment is assessed for the period that a client was not entitled to a payment and the recovery of the overpayment is followed up by the relevant section of the Department.
The overpayments recorded in 2013 are part of the statutory accounts of the Department and are currently the subject of an audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
However, preliminary figures indicate that the total amount recorded in respect of overpayments in 2013 was approximately €127m, while recoveries were approximately €70m. It should be noted that not all recoveries made in 2013 are in respect of overpayments raised in that year.
