Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
601. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of child benefit applicants; the number of applicants audited each year; the way that applicants are identified for audit; the number found to be non-compliant; the action taken on identification of non-compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37236/22]
View answerChild Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves.
In 2021, Child Benefit was paid to 630,000 customers in respect of 1.2 million children.
Control reviews on the Child Benefit scheme can arise from various sources. In 2021, eligibility checks were made on 169,000 customers. It was found that the payment should no longer be made in respect of 6,000 customers with the main reason being that they were no longer resident in the country. Control savings in respect of these cases amounted to €46.1million, including €3.1m in overpayments which are being followed up.
The main control mechanism for Child benefit is the Continuing Eligibility Check (CEC) process which is applied to all customers who have opted for the EFT payment method. These customers are issued with a certificate every 12-18 months. The certificate is issued to the customer based on their month of birth with the specified month selected on a rolling basis.
Payment is suspended in all cases where non compliance is found.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
