HSE internal audits July-December 2015 - Overpayments: Staff in single HSE region overpaid more than €815k

Overpayments totalling €815,798 were made to staff in a single HSE region in 2014 according to an internal HSE audit.

The single biggest payment occurred “through no fault of the HSE”, auditors said, and related to a retiree who availed of an early retirement scheme in 1988 and subsequently took up employment in another public service body. Under the terms of the scheme, the employee’s pension should have ceased and the original lump sum repaid. However this did not happen, resulting in an overpayment of €194,860.

Other overpayments included incorrect application of salary increases and monthly pension erroneously increased. In 12% of cases sampled, the overpayment was repaid in full, while in 46% of cases either the full or part of the payroll overpayment remains outstanding.