Welfare recipients see benefits cut off in row over mandatory cards

At least €800,000 in benefits has been withheld from welfare recipients who failed to sign up for a public services card after they were told to by the Department of Social Protection.

The department is under fire for cutting off the pension of a woman in her 70s who refused to take part in a registration process for the card which is not compulsory under law. But the department has taken the same stance in other cases, resulting in “savings” of €802,000 to the end of July last year.

Minister Regina Doherty drew criticism when she admitted yesterday that public service cards were in effect compulsory even though not required by law.