Welfare Fraud Hotline

znv6i3h7kqf9ys

I think that there should be a hotline for welfare fraud and want to know other opinions. On UK TV they advertise and encourage people to report welfare fraud and make it easy for people to do so. Why is there nothing here? If there is it is not heavily advertised which makes it difficult for people to do so. After all welfare cheats are stealing from everybody who works and it is rife in Ireland. I'm sick of it. If the government is serious about cutbacks and higher tax why are they not doing something similar to the uk? Does it not make sense.

old boy

if the guys at the top stopped the expenses fraud, the brown envelope fraud, the offshore banking fraud, the dole ques would be very small, op start at the top, then work your way down, as someone who has been reported many a time and found not guilty of fraud, i do not take kindly to reporting of dole fraud, as it is quite possible most of the fraudsters are trying to pay a light bill etc, the vast majority of people on welfare are not there of their own chooseing,
why not cut the dole and free legal aid from all major criminal gangs, now their are real saveings to be made here as well.
every one that says hit welfare recipitents seem to be cosseted in ivory towers,
the guy from the world bank or whatever on the news the other evening said cut the dole, it is too high and does not give people the incintive to find work,
every job advertised in this country had been applied for by at least 500-1,000 people,

znv6i3h7kqf9ys

I agree with you that the expences are disgraceful and the tax breaks for the rich and also your point about the criminal gangs. However that does not make it right to be a dole cheat. It could be argued the other way that the guys at the top think it's ok because the guys at the bottom do. It all has to stop and has to start somewhere. Fraud is fraud full stop

RonMexico

Bring in food and clothing stamps so that the spongers (not the newly unemployed) can't collect their dole and make a beeline for the nearest off-licence.

Also the dole should be based on your contribution to society. If you worked hard and then became unemployed you should be entitled to full payment. If you never contributed then it should be reduced.

If they can do this in other countries there is no reason why it can't be done here.

I.S.T.

Paisley Inexpensive Appetizer wrote: »

I think that there should be a hotline for welfare fraud and want to know other opinions. On UK TV they advertise and encourage people to report welfare fraud and make it easy for people to do so. Why is there nothing here? If there is it is not heavily advertised which makes it difficult for people to do so. After all welfare cheats are stealing from everybody who works and it is rife in Ireland. I'm sick of it. If the government is serious about cutbacks and higher tax why are they not doing something similar to the uk? Does it not make sense.

The people on the dole are small time compared to small business owners claiming all kinds of personal expenses as business expenses. I think your anger is aimed at the wrong people.

znv6i3h7kqf9ys

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

The people on the dole are small time compared to small business owners claiming all kinds of personal expenses as business expenses. I think your anger is aimed at the wrong people.

So that makes it ok then? I won't argue about the expences but Fraud is fraud and people who should not be getting social welfare that are are stealing from the rest of us who are being taxed to the hilt

I.S.T.

Paisley Inexpensive Appetizer wrote: »

So that makes it ok then? I won't argue about the expences but Fraud is fraud and people who should not be getting social welfare that are are stealing from the rest of us who are being taxed to the hilt

If you really believe "fraud is fraud" so then why are you only arguing for a phone line to report benefit fraud? Why not a phone line to report self-employed fraud also?

znv6i3h7kqf9ys

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

If you really believe "fraud is fraud" so then why are you only arguing for a phone line to report benefit fraud? Why not a phone line to report self-employed fraud also?

Good idea

deadhead13

Reports of social welfare fraud by members of the public for the 1st 6 months of the year 2,581, whereas 362 were received in the same period last year. Attitudes seem to be changing.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/2009/Pages/pr240709.aspx

old boy

if a complaint is made against some one in welfare, the invistigation officer does not have to reveal who made the complaint, but the person being investigated has to prove the complaintant wrong, the only way the name of the complaintant is revealed is if it goes to court,
just imagne an officer turning up unannounced to a buisness man, td, co counciller, fas officer etc and making complaints on the word of a report,
yeah ted.

Rev. BlueJeans

deadhead13 wrote: »

Reports of social welfare fraud by members of the public for the 1st 6 months of the year 2,581, whereas 362 were received in the same period last year. Attitudes seem to be changing.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/2009/Pages/pr240709.aspx

I'm glad to hear it. Now all we need to do is apply the same diligence all the way up the food chain.

Just because dole fraudsters are considered "small time", does not mean that we should exhibit the typical paddywhackery of turning a blind eye.

old boy

nobody is saying turn a blind eye, the buzz word should be EQUALITY, how come the first people to be hit on are the people on welfare.
for instance how come no one is asking how come travellers draw the dole and trade, lets clamp down on them,
is it because people on welfare are not vocal enough, or do not have enough media clout,
how come white collar crime is ignored (well almost)
come on people lets have a level playfield.

AlekSmart

Reports of social welfare fraud by members of the public for the 1st 6 months of the year 2,581, whereas 362 were received in the same period last year.

Approximately an 8 fold increase in reports then...?

Now,lets see how many extra investigation branch staff have been recruited.....has that section had an 8 fold increase in it`s resources ???

dvpower

old boy wrote: »

how come the first people to be hit on are the people on welfare.

People who steal from the social security are not on welfare, just like people who rob pensioners are not on pensions.

Absurdum

old boy wrote: »

for instance how come no one is asking how come travellers draw the dole and trade, lets clamp down on them

because political correctness is more important to the liberal media than the future of our country

AlekSmart

For instance how come no one is asking how come travellers draw the dole and trade, lets clamp down on them,
is it because people on welfare are not vocal enough, or do not have enough media clout,

Far from it OldBoy,as the Equality Agency`s records attest to at least one of your mentioned groups have more than enough "clout" to defend themselves against such allegations.

There are quite a few Legal personages specializing in the aggressive defence of such "minorities" against all manner of nasty accusations from those who actually pay for the various schemes which support the claimants lifestyles..... :rolleyes:

Diarmuid

Absurdum wrote: »

because political correctness is more important to the liberal media than the future of our country

:rolleyes:

Absurdum

ok

old boy

could not the people on welfare set up a green agenda, then they would become immune to to all attacks, have immense goverment support, also the liberal trendy types would bend over backwards for them.

skearon

old boy wrote: »

if the guys at the top stopped the expenses fraud, the brown envelope fraud, the offshore banking fraud, the dole ques would be very small, op start at the top, then work your way down, as someone who has been reported many a time and found not guilty of fraud, i do not take kindly to reporting of dole fraud, as it is quite possible most of the fraudsters are trying to pay a light bill etc, the vast majority of people on welfare are not there of their own chooseing,
why not cut the dole and free legal aid from all major criminal gangs, now their are real saveings to be made here as well.
every one that says hit welfare recipitents seem to be cosseted in ivory towers,
the guy from the world bank or whatever on the news the other evening said cut the dole, it is too high and does not give people the incintive to find work,
every job advertised in this country had been applied for by at least 500-1,000 people,

Last year €500m was the amount recovered in Welfare fraud detection, the estimated amount of actual fraud is €2 billion, so certainly lets start at the top and tackle the €2b in fraud.

The OCED were quoting facts, as was the central bank a couple of weeks ago when it commented on the fact that during a sustained period of full employment (2001-2006) the state doubled the dole, so in effect rewarded people who refuse to work and contribute to society.

Those are the people to target, as Eamonn Gilmore himself said on the Panel on Thursday "there is a requirement to get any dole payment that you have to be available for work or available for education or whatever, and if someone doesn't comply with that you don't pay them"

dresden8

old boy wrote: »

if a complaint is made against some one in welfare, the invistigation officer does not have to reveal who made the complaint, but the person being investigated has to prove the complaintant wrong, the only way the name of the complaintant is revealed is if it goes to court,
just imagne an officer turning up unannounced to a buisness man, td, co counciller, fas officer etc and making complaints on the word of a report,
yeah ted.

This is entirely wrong.

old boy

dresden8 wrote: »

This is entirely wrong.

hi op how is this entirely wrong, please explain,