20% increase in welfare fraud reports to department

There has been a 20% increase in the number of social welfare fraud reports registered with the Department of Social Protection.

In the first nine months of this year, there were just over 16,500 reports registered, up from 13,900 for the corresponding period in 2016.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said that, of the overall numbers received up to the end of September, close to 14,000 have been examined and following the initial stages of examination, almost 9,000 have been referred for “further investigation and appropriate follow-up action”.