Burton will get new powers to recover welfare payments

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton will get additional powers to recover fraudulently claimed welfare payments by taking funds directly from bank accounts or deducting 15 per cent from earnings.

The Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013, which returns to the Dáil for debate today, will be amended to allow Ms Burton to recoup overpayments as well as fraud from people previously in receipt of welfare.

“Where an individual has a clear ability to repay the money but refuses all demands to do so, the legislation will allow for an order of attachment to earnings from employment,” said Ms Burton’s spokesman.

“This will allow for the recovery of overpayments . . . by way of deductions from a person’s earnings of up to 15 per cent of . . . net weekly earnings.”

Overpaid debt due for recovery stood at €343 million at the end of 2011, with the value of new overpayments exceeding the amount recovered in recent years.

'Very last step'
Ms Burton's spokesman said attachment orders would only be used "as a very last step" if the individual had refused to engage with the department and ignored all demands for repayment.

The Minister will bring forward an amendment to the Bill. Briefing materials on the proposals were distributed to TDs yesterday.

They indicate that under current arrangements, the department must initiate costly and time-consuming civil legal proceedings for the recovery of overpayments.

In cases of erroneous overpayment rather than fraud, the mistake may have been on the part of the department or the recipient, who may have described their circumstances in error.

Under the Bill people in receipt of social welfare could become subject to identity checks previously only extended to new applicants. Payments will be cancelled if recipients refuse to attend at a designated office in order to have their photograph and a sample of their signature recorded electronically.

Details of births, deaths and marriages will be accessible online for the first time as a result of legislative changes introduced by Ms Burton. Civil partnership records will also become searchable but information relating to adoptions and stillbirths will be excluded.