Infamous welfare cheats campaign trumpeted savings that were not real

The €500m savings in welfare fraud were the estimated prevented fraud that would occur if the department wasn’t on top of things

The infamous 2017 campaign, fronted by Leo Varadkar, claimed Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All and trumpeted that anti-fraud measures within the Department created €500 million in savings each year. Picture: Shane O'Neill Photography.

The Department of Social Protection, the State’s dispenser of welfare payments to those who need them, sets great stock in its fraud-prevention abilities.

The infamous 2017 campaign, fronted by Leo Varadkar, claimed Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All and trumpeted that anti-fraud measures within the Department created €500m in savings each year.