MORE THAN 1,000 people are being pursued through the courts by the Department of Social and Family Affairs as part of a crackdown on social welfare fraud.
New figures show that up to the end of September 2009 some 872 cases were at various stages of the prosecution process.
In addition, some 20 cases were finalised in court, while the department has forwarded a further 200 cases to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office to initiate legal proceedings.
Much of the department’s recent anti-fraud activity has focused on comparing welfare records with data from other official sources such as State agencies and the Revenue Commissioners.
For example, it is investigating whether people employed in the private security sector are also receiving social welfare payments.
This follows a “data matching” exercise in which the names of people employed as private security guards – information held by the Private Security Agency – was compared to welfare records.
This has so far revealed that a total of 1,680 people who had an active security licence were in receipt of a welfare payment.
While the data provides a trigger for inspectors to review a case, it does not automatically prove that social welfare fraud exists. While some may be fraudulently claiming welfare, others may be unemployed yet still on the register and legitimately entitled to draw a welfare payment.
Despite tougher measures to combat fraud in the system, the department is set to collect about €100 million less than it anticipated in anti-fraud measures. This is the second year in a row that it has fallen significantly behind its fraud savings targets.
In relation to pursuing perpetrators of social welfare fraud, the department says it is its policy to consider for prosecution all cases of fraud against the social welfare system.
Not all cases are ultimately prosecuted, however. Factors taken into account in deciding whether a prosecution should be taken include the size of fraud, its duration and the deterrent factor, according to officials. Any criminal prosecutions are typically taken through summary proceedings in the District Courts.
In a separate development, latest figures indicate that the number of people appealing decisions over their social welfare payments has increased by some 40 per cent this year.
Last year almost 18,000 appeals were forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, a separate agency which adjudicates on welfare decisions. This was the highest number of appeals in 15 years.
Officials say the number of appeals is set to reach around 25,000 this year, due to a major overall increase in the number of people on the Live Register. The increase is putting pressure on the system and leading to longer waiting times for decisions.
While detailed figures for 2009 are not yet available, they are expected to show that the average waiting time for a decision now exceeds 22 weeks.
Last year’s statistics show that almost half of welfare appeals (48 per cent) resulted in a favourable appeal for the applicant, resulting in a payment that was either resumed or revised upwards. A further 39 per cent were unfavourable, while the remainder were withdrawn (13 per cent).
