Social welfare overpayments of €97m in 2012

The Department of Social Protection made overpayments of €97 million to claimants last year, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General has found.

It says 40 per cent of the recorded overpayments were attributed to fraud while a further 37 per cent came about due to error on the part of the client.

The report says that an overpayment of income support arises where a claimant either receives a payment to which they are not entitled or the amount provided is in excess of the level of entitlement.

It says that overpayments may occur due to fraud or error. It says overpayments may come to light where new information is provided voluntarily by a claimant or as a result of control activity on the part of the department.

The report says that the €97 million in overpayments represents 0.47 per cent* of the department’s overall expenditure.

However the figures do not include overpayments to 60,000 people receiving fuel allowance last year at a cost of €1.2 million due to an administrative error.

It says that just over €1 million arising from the fuel allowance overpayment was recovered by deferring the commencement of the payment of the payment to 52,000 people by one week this year.

* Following a correction issued by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General this evening, this figure was changed from 7 per cent to 0.47 per cent.