Social Welfare: One person paid almost €360,000 to which they were not entitled

More than €111 million in social welfare overpayments were uncovered last year including one case where a person received almost €360,000 that they were not entitled to.

The Department of Social Protection said 71,121 cases were discovered last year where people had received more money than they should have.

“Overpayments can occur where a person provides false or misleading information in their application or through error on the part of either the claimant or the department,” a department spokesman said.

There were at least 10 cases involving sums of more than €200,000, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act by the department, with one person receiving €357,999 in jobseekers allowance that they were not entitled to.

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Incorrect payments

Another person wrongly received €299,989 in jobseekers allowance while a similar case involving the same type of payment was valued at €282,881. Incorrect payments worth €262,207 were made under the one parent family allowance in another case uncovered last year.

There was also a €229,540 overpayment of illness benefit and a €228,168 overpayment of the non-contributory State pension to which the person had no entitlement.

The department said the larger figures generally involved “irregular payments over a number of years” which were uncovered last year.

Of the €111.6 million in overpayments recorded last year, around €80.5 million (some 72 per cent) had been recovered.

An information note said: “Recoveries refer to the amount recovered in that year, but the debt may not necessarily have been raised in that year.”

The spokesman said the majority of people in receipt of a payment from it received what they were entitled to.

Anti-fraud measures

“Nevertheless, the department recognises that abuse of the welfare system is an on-going reality and must be tackled proactively,” he said.

He added that anti-fraud and control measures were in place to identify such cases and to recover the money and pursue prosecutions where appropriate.

“The value of overpayments when viewed as a percentage of scheme expenditure highlights that the vast majority of people in receipt of a payment from the department receive what they are entitled to.”

The department said the recovery of overpaid welfare was done without “imposing undue financial hardship” and that personal circumstances would be considered in determining any repayment plan.