Social Protection receives 16,456 suspected fraud tip-offs

The Department of Social Protection received more than 16,000 anonymous tip-offs from members of the public last year regarding suspected cases of social welfare fraud.

A dedicated phone line and website facility is provided by the department for individuals to submit anonymous reports of suspected abuses by social welfare claimants.

Last year, 16,456 tip-offs were received from members of the public, triggering investigations into cases of suspected fraud.

In 11,687 of these cases, a report of suspected fraud was sent to the relevant departmental section for examination as clients were found to be in receipt of more than one payment.

It was not possible to pursue a report in 4,034 cases due to a lack of information, the absence of any welfare claim, or the fact that information supplied would not impact on any entitlement.

Substantial increase

There has been a substantial increase in the number of welfare tip-offs since the economic crisis. In 2008, for example, just 1,044 anonymous reports were made by the public to the department.

However, the number of tip-offs increased to 16,917 in 2011, 28,022 in 2012, and 24,720 in 2013.

In 2014, 21,088 cases of suspected welfare fraud were reported to the Department’s Control Division.

The figures were released by the department in response to a request for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act.

A statement from the department noted all anonymous reports are examined and, where appropriate, referred to inspectors for investigation and follow-up action.

“A payment is not suspended or stopped solely on the basis of an anonymous report. The anonymous report, however, may be a ‘trigger’ for the instigation of a review of a customer’s entitlement,” it said.