Claiming Disability Benefits Illegally

MarthaMyDear

Hi guys,

Just wanted to get some feedback on this story.

A girl I work with and am friendly with told me something the other day and I'm worried she could be getting herself in a lot of trouble. I want to keep this as anonymous as possible so sorry if its a bit vague.

So this young woman has a long term illness but her symptoms are very very mild and don't impact on her working. She is on a new medication the last couple of years which has basically made her symptoms non existent but since this is a life-long and potentially life threatening illness then she automatically received disability allowance.

So she was receiving it for a couple of years while she was in college. Then when she finished college she began working. The contract she is on is a zero hour contract but she still does full time hours most weeks. She has been working in this job and doing these kind of hours for almost two years.

She told me recently that she still receives the DA in to her bank account every week no matter how many hours she has done (some weeks she may only do 12 but the majority she does more). I asked her if she had let anybody know that she has been working and she said no. She also said that last summer she was doing 200 hours a month and was still getting a DA.

I asked her why she hadn't contacted the social welfare about working and she said that she was afraid if they stopped it that it would be impossible to get back down the line if her health was to decline.

She didn't seem to stressed about it she just said they haven't noticed. She seems to think if it does come to their attention that they will just stop the payments and she'll deal with that if it happens.

It's been in my head since she told me though. Could she be liable to pay all that money back? Is the situation more serious than she is taking it or am I just being a drama queen? She didn't seem to be aware of how she could be found out and was asking me how it could happen but I'm also unsure how the social welfare find out if you are working.

Thoughts??

screamer

Far as I know people on disability allowance can work a certain number of hours every week and still get their payment. Look it up on citizens information.

endofrainbow

She is ripping off the system and will be found out sooner or later. She will more than likely have to repay the money and may also be fined.

People like her mess things up for the genuine cases.

As a matter of interest, did she disclose her illness to her employer ? That could be a sacking offence if she lied/ omitted to give details.

jeamimus

endofrainbow wrote: »

She will more than likely have to repay the money ....

Yeah... a fiver a month...

Gatling

jeamimus wrote: »

Yeah... a fiver a month...

Very wrong they can legally stop 15% of weekly payments .and that's if there's no fraud charges

njs030

A person can do rehabilitative work (whatever that means) and earn up to €120 per week, anything over that is classed as means.

Yes she should have declared it and she is committing welfare fraud which is more serious than just having a payment stopped. She will have to pay it back either way, but the longer it goes on the more trouble she could potentially be in.

Apart from that it's a moral issue- disability allowance is for people who aren't capable of the same lifestyle as someone else their age. She shouldn't be taking it "just in case she gets worse". If she's well enough to work 20+ hours she isn't disabled.

jeamimus

Gatling wrote: »

Very wrong they can legally stop 15% of weekly payments .and that's if there's no fraud charges

So, for example an illegal payment lasting 4 years would get paid back at 15% of future payments (assuming at same rate but would likely be less) in 24 years and if you were to include interest and penalties it will effectively never get paid back.

MarthaMyDear

No as far as I know she didn't disclose her illness to her employer on the medical form that everyone has to fill out when they start work. She said she was advised not to by others in case it went against her in getting hours.

She would earn between 200-500 a week (very rough estimate) so she is outside the hours that social welfare allow.

How would she get caught though if nobody reported her? I have even heard stories of people being reported and still nothing happening.

Gatling

I'm sure they would be interested to hear


https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Report-Suspected-Social-Welfare-Fraud-contact.aspx

njs030

MarthaMyDear wrote: »

No as far as I know she didn't disclose her illness to her employer on the medical form that everyone has to fill out when they start work. She said she was advised not to by others in case it went against her in getting hours.

She would earn between 200-500 a week (very rough estimate) so she is outside the hours that social welfare allow.

How would she get caught though if nobody reported her? I have even heard stories of people being reported and still nothing happening.

They will eventually ask to see bank statements to prove she isn't working. They will want at least a year but could ask to see more.

jeamimus

MarthaMyDear wrote: »

How would she get caught though if nobody reported her? .

PPS number

anti christ

Everyone needs a friend like you... marthamydear...to keep a eye out for them...

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Your explanation of the situation is very vague and it sounds like you might not have all of the proper facts. I find it very hard to believe that the sw will have let a few years slip without medically examining your friend. It is nigh on impossible to get full diability in the first place unless you are almost bedridden. I know of a clear cut situation where a person was receiving illness benefit and was quite clearly unable to work but the sw still made her go for medical examinations every 4-5 months. So your story doesn't add up. Are you sure it isn't disablement allowance she is receiving? Disablement allowance is usually a lifelong payment and working doesn't have any impact on it.

punisher5112

Report social welfare fraud or any fraud you know of.

You can be anonymous and report if there is nothing going on its good to know at least you informed them just in case.

Moat would not have been found out only for outsider tips.

Gatling

Alaric Raspy Adventurer wrote: »

Your explanation of the situation is very vague and it sounds like you might not have all of the proper facts. I find it very hard to believe that the sw will have let a few years slip without medically examining your friend. It is nigh on impossible to get full diability in the first place unless you are almost bedridden. I know .

Not necessarily true at all lots of people on DA haven't been examined in years and you don't have to be bed ridden either it's difficult to get disability but not impossible

danjo-xx

If she is paying tax and prsi its only a matter of time before she is found out. What kind of work does she do.

MarthaMyDear

Alaric Raspy Adventurer wrote: »

Your explanation of the situation is very vague and it sounds like you might not have all of the proper facts. I find it very hard to believe that the sw will have let a few years slip without medically examining your friend. It is nigh on impossible to get full diability in the first place unless you are almost bedridden. I know of a clear cut situation where a person was receiving illness benefit and was quite clearly unable to work but the sw still made her go for medical examinations every 4-5 months. So your story doesn't add up. Are you sure it isn't disablement allowance she is receiving? Disablement allowance is usually a lifelong payment and working doesn't have any impact on it.

She still has the same illness because it's a lifelong disease she is just able to work because her version of this particular illness is mild. Does that make sense? So if she went to a GP she would still have the condition because there is no cure but she wouldn't be "ill" all the time. It's definitely disability allowance. She gave me a lot more details I was just being vague on purpose so sorry about that.

MarthaMyDear

danjo-xx wrote: »

If she is paying taxe and prsi its only a matter of time before she is found out. What kind of work does she do.

I'd rather not say but it's physical enough work and long shifts.

haveringchick

There would only be interest and penalties if it went to court
Which would be quite unusual and only happens when claimants don't cooperate
There is no set amount of hours a claimant can work, that's a myth
A claimant can earn €120 per week and half of any earnings between €120 and €350 will be deducted from her DA
Any amount over €350 will be entirely deducted
Obviously the best thing for this woman to do for her own good is to come entirely clean now, find out how much she owes and pay it back as quickly as possible so it won't be hanging over her