Numbers claiming illness benefit soar to 80,000
Figures from the Department of Social and Family Affairs show the number of people claiming illness benefit (78,500) is at an all-time high, despite a major crackdown on fraudulent claims by the department which saw numbers fall back to less than 70,000 in 2007.
The cost of the scheme is continuing to rise:
*In 2005 and 2006, it cost in excess of €500m and €600m respectively.
*In 2007 it had reached €755m.
*The latest available figure from 2008 shows the cost of illness benefit at a staggering €852m, just €80m short of what was paid out in jobseekers’ benefit in the same year.
During 2008 and 2009, 150,000 reviews of all illness-related schemes resulted in savings of almost €50m.
Since 2003, a project has been running to assess people claiming illness benefit in order to, the department say, “identify susceptible persons with simple low back pain and prevent their progression to chronic back pain”.
The Renaissance Project has seen 24,756 claimants of illness benefit since its inception. According to its figures, 14,874 claimants (60.08%) submitted a final certificate, and more than 72.69% of claims were closed prior to or as a result of the assessment.
The issue of fraudulent claims first arose in a Dáil Public Accounts Committee in 2007 when serious concern was expressed that 73,000 claimants was a “significant increase” on previous years.
The committee investigated people with back injury on disability allowance. A total of 1,532 people in Dublin and Cork on disability as a result of lower back pain were called for medical review. Only 154 were found to qualify for the benefit.
Latest statistics from the department show that, as of February, more than 10,000 people are citing back, neck, rib and disc problems and almost 10,000 were off work because they are suffering from anxiety or depression.
More than 4,500 say they are suffering from stress.
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