€12.2m welfare overpayment blamed on 'official error'

There was a huge spike in welfare overpayments attributed to "official error" last year.

There was a huge spike in welfare overpayments attributed to "official error" last year, led by a €12.2m overpayment related to the implementation of a new illness benefit IT system.  

According to the latest annual report from the Comptroller & Auditor General, overpayments resulting from official error "spiked significantly" in 2019, mainly due to issues related to the implementation of the new illness benefit IT system, while the amount of money incorrectly paid out by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) due to suspected welfare fraud continues to trend downwards.