[ad_1]
Reviews of state pension claimants revealed higher average overpayments than others, such as single parents, who face greater scrutiny.
The finding by the state spending regulator, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), has resulted in the Department of Social Protection being told to review its approach to investigating suspected fraud or errors in the benefits system.
A C&AG report found that some social assistance recipients, such as those receiving payments from working families and single-parent families, were subject to “high review intensity”, but average overpayments (€ 20 and € 72 respectively) they were low compared to other plans. Overpayments occurred in less than 5% of the cases reviewed in both schemes.
In contrast, some schemes with low levels of review, such as those claiming the state pension, had relatively low levels of review, but resulted in high levels of overpayment.
In 2019, a total of 8% of pension applicants were reviewed, and 20% of the probes detected an overpayment, the average sum is € 770.
The proportion of overpayments of 2% of the disability pension applicants was higher, at 68%. The department should conduct a review.
Irish independent
[ad_2]