Successful tip-offs to welfare not recorded

The Department of Social Protection does not know how many allegations of welfare fraud submitted by members of the public lead to the detection of an offence.

Earlier this week, Social Protection Minister, Leo Varadkar, launched a publicity campaign promoting his Department’s online and telephone fraud-reporting services.

However, figures released to the Irish Examiner reveal that one in four reports of fraud by members of the public lacked enough information to warrant further investigation, or had no bearing on any entitlements received by the subject of the complaint.