Increase in Social Welfare fraud

Over 28 thousand people reported allegations of social welfare fraud last year – up from almost 17 thousand is 2011.
The Department of Social Protection saved 669 million euro through a clampdown on social welfare fraud last year – exceeding the target set, by over 20 million euro.
Over one million reviews of social welfare claims were carried out – and most of the savings came from reviews of One Parent Family Payments, Pensions, Jobseekers, Illness, and Child Benefit payments.
The Department has set a new target of 710 million euro in savings for this year.