Landlord rent supplement windfall another scandal waiting to explode

THE Comptroller and Auditor General has warned that the rent supplement scheme is being ripped off by fraudsters.

He cited one instance in which an asylum seeker, who was working illegally, claimed rent supplement and various other benefits totalling €85,000 over four years.

This is grossly unfair not only to taxpayers, but also to legitimate asylum seekers, because it will inevitably fuel a kind of public uneasiness that leads to racism. The Government has been giving out the money without proper checks or balances being enforced by the departments involved.