Fraud tip-off reports to social welfare fall by 3,300 — but 2,000 still lodged every month

The number of reports received by the Department of Social Protection’s fraud tip-off unit fell by more than 3,000 last year.

Figures to be published today by Minister Joan Burton show that last year the department’s Fraud Control Unit received 24,720 calls or other forms of correspondence — more than 2,000 a month on average.

However, that is down compared with the 28,022 contacts registered by the unit in 2012, a year in which the FCU — basedin Carrick-on-Shannon — witnessed a dramatic increase in would-be tip-offs, up 11,000 on the comparable figure for 2011.

Ms Burton will today publish a compliance and anti-fraud strategy report which will also detail progress in other areas as part of a crackdown on various forms of welfare fraud, designed to bring in savings for her big-spending department.

The department was unable to say last night which areas of welfare provision prompted most contacts to the unit, or how many calls eventually resulted in an investigation.

A spokesperson said: “Each and every report is followed up — there is not one that comes in that is not followed up.”

In past years, issues such as working while claiming benefits, co-habitation where benefits were being paid on the basis that claimants were not living together, and allegations that claimants were not resident in the country but were still claiming, were among those reported to the unit.

The department said that in some cases there is insufficient information or evidence to proceed with an investigation, while in other cases where fraud has been found, the department simply recoups the money.

In the past two years the minister has expressed satisfaction at fraud control measures and the savings secured as a result, while groups such as Social Justice Ireland claimed there was no justification for claims that fraud control measures were resulting in massive savings for the department.

Last year marks the first time since the Fraud Control Unit began receiving reports that the number of contacts received has fallen year-on-year.