Burton: Welfare claimants to receive ID cards

SOCIAL welfare claimants will begin receiving national identity cards in the coming months in an attempt to stamp out fraud and dole system abuse, which could be costing as much as €600 million a year.

Social Protection Minister Joan Burton announced the move yesterday while setting out plans to reduce her department’s bill for paying utility supplements for welfare recipients.

At the MacGill Summer School in Donegal, Ms Burton said the national social insurance card would have biometric identification through the use of a photograph.