Benefit fraud

Dannyg90

My friend was claiming JSA for 18 months, 9 months in he got back into college but stayed signed on as his course was in Dublin and he had no means of going there until he got a grant. As he had previously gone to college so he had to pay fees for his first year back and could not get a grant till his second year. To live up in dublin costs loads so he kept collecting the social welfare payments, he's in his second year now and has qualified for a grant but hasn't received it yet(grant office are useless). Today he went into the dole office and they told him that they knew what he's been doing and they are about to start legal proceedings, can anyone tell me whats going to happen? Will he face a prison sentence or will they just want the money back? I know what he did was breaking the law so i'm not looking for judgement just information on what will happen next

FreudianSlippers

From welfare.ie:

Suspected fraud/legal proceedings
In cases where serious or protracted social welfare fraud has occurred, these cases are either referred to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or Director of Public Prosecution for criminal prosecution. In other serious cases, such as multiple claiming or personation, the inspectors may refer the cases to the Gardai for investigation. A person who is found guilty of abusing the social welfare system may be fined or imprisoned.

In relation to legal proceedings for suspected welfare fraud up to the end of July 2011:

90 cases were forwarded to the Chief State Solicitor Office to initiate legal proceedings;
159 cases were finalised in court of which 128 related to Jobseekers claims;
106 cases had fines imposed, 4 cases received a prison sentence, 14 were given the Probation Act, 12 received community service and 12 cases received a suspended sentence; and
701 were on hands with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office/Local state solicitors at various stages of the prosecution process.
A Circuit Court judge imposed a custodial sentence of twelve and a half years in the case of one social welfare fraud case involving multiple claims, which was jointly investigated with and referred to the Gardai for prosecution under the Criminal Justice (Fraud & Theft) Act.

ResearchWill

Dannyg90 wrote: »

My friend was claiming JSA for 18 months, 9 months in he got back into college but stayed signed on as his course was in Dublin and he had no means of going there until he got a grant. As he had previously gone to college so he had to pay fees for his first year back and could not get a grant till his second year. To live up in dublin costs loads so he kept collecting the social welfare payments, he's in his second year now and has qualified for a grant but hasn't received it yet(grant office are useless). Today he went into the dole office and they told him that they knew what he's been doing and they are about to start legal proceedings, can anyone tell me whats going to happen? Will he face a prison sentence or will they just want the money back? I know what he did was breaking the law so i'm not looking for judgement just information on what will happen next

He needs to go to the SU in his college to seek advice. Why did he not claim back to education allowance. He may have been entitled to it.