Social welfare payments in excess of entitlement are being made by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, according to the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), John Buckley.
The report calls on the Department to increase its use of assessments and surveys to identify social welfare over-payment and fraud and referenced an analysis of almost 35,700 claimants that led to the recouping of €255 million in 2008 as an example of the extent of the issue.
It said extrapolating the results from a number of surveys “suggest there is a significant level of payment in excess of entitlement”.
The C&AG says a concentration on processing claims, to meet the increased demand from people claiming jobseeker's allowance, could result in a reduction in control measures leading to people claiming more than they were entitled to.
The Department said in 2008 it intended to survey those payments deemed at high risk of fraud; jobseekers’ allowance, the one parent family payments, disability allowance and child benefit, every two years.
However, it had been unable to do so due to the increase in the live register and the demands this placed on social welfare inspectors.
A survey of those signing on for jobseekers’ allowance is planned for the end of this year.
The State’s accrued pension liabilities at the end of last year was €108 billion. He said while the current net pensions accounted for 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product, this was likely to increase to 1.8 per cent.
Mr Purcell’s report also found public hospitals had failed to recover accommodation costs from 50 per cent of patients treated privately in them.
He also said payments had begun to medical consultants under new contract arrangements but more work was required to ensure the hoped for service gains were realised.
