Coughlan ‘vigilant’ on welfare fraud

SOCIAL Welfare Minister Mary Coughlan has asked officials in her department to be extra vigilant in the fight against welfare fraud.

Last year the department saved €283 million thanks to detailed anti-fraud investigations and the minister wants to stamp out all illegal benefit payments, a Social and Family Affairs spokesperson said yesterday.

The savings figure was a €14m increase on the previous year and the department’s fraud section has upped its efforts again to catch those claiming illegal payments.