A major investigation into social welfare fraud last year uncovered widespread abuses to the value of €375 million, The Irish Timeshas learned.
In addition to false claims, the figures reveal that 11 per cent per cent of employers who underwent PRSI inspections were found to be non-compliant.
Almost 400 fraudsters have had their cases sent to the DPP with 20 already having received prison sentences. A further 246 cases have already been processed by the courts, which imposed a range of sanctions including fines and community service. Some 335,000 cases were reviewed in total.
The frauds detected involved people claiming welfare they were not entitled to or making multiple claims.
Information obtained from the Department of Social and Family Affairs reveals that despite the booming economy, unemployment benefit remains the payment targeted most by welfare fraudsters.
Of the total welfare cases examined by the department last year, just over 73,000 involved unemployment benefits. Savings of just over €123 million were realised in this area, significantly more than in any other welfare category.
Other abuses detected and savings achieved during the year included:
• 165,000 illness benefit cases were reviewed resulting in savings of €63 million;
• just over 9,000 old age pensions were reviewed with resultant savings of €22 million;
• the 25,000 single-parent family payment cases reviewed resulted in savings of €78 million;
• savings of almost €18 million were achieved after 17,800 child benefit cases were reviewed;
• 4,800 PRSI employer inspections were conducted resulting in savings of €7.63 million.
Total savings reached €375.21 million during the year.
Minster for Social and Family Affairs Séamus Brennan said these savings had been achieved by focusing anti-fraud efforts on payment schemes regarded as high risk.
The department said in many cases claimants had made false declarations or had concealed information in order to obtain payment.
In other cases there was a deliberate failure to notify the authorities of a change in circumstances, such as gaining employment.
Situations where overpayments arose included the failure to disclose a change in marital status or the employment status of a spouse.
Details of new marriages are now automatically sent to the department and these are checked against those claiming one-parent family or widow and widower payments.
Similarly, notices of all deaths are now received by the department, enabling it to make sure the pension of a deceased person is not claimed by a third party posthumously.
In many cases, people claiming benefits for which they must be resident in the State to qualify had simply left the country and continued to be paid into bank accounts which they were able to access from overseas via ATMs.