Will I be prosecuted??

Askaquestion

I am a supervisor in a company and submit wage sheets. I have staff member out sick and have been paying them (this isn't done by company), they have been claiming illness benefit and paying it to me in cash. They think it's all ok and the benefit is going back to company.
I have been keeping the benefit and putting them through as working. I know this is wrong but my mind wasn't right, I am trying to get the money together for treatment for my child and my spouse lost their job.
I cannot sleep at night with anxiety because of it and I have involved someone else unbeknown to them.
I want to pay the money back and have been trying to get guidance from welfare, illness benefit, local office etc.
What can I do?

Kepler 186f

There is no clear answer to your question.
1) If you are caught and the company decide to deal with the issue of fraud outside of the company, by reporting it the 2) Gardai and making a formal complaint then yes you could be prosecuted for something like, making a gain or causing a loss by deception http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/6/enacted/en/html
Or other fraud offences or other false accounting offences. It all depends on if you are caught and how your company chooses to proceed

Askaquestion

I don't want to wait to be caught. I'd like to preferably go to welfare and pay back the money she gave me. A friend will help me with a loan as they know I am at breaking point with a sick child. I lost sight of everything else besides my child. I'm not a dishonest person by nature and this is eating me up

Terrontress

You have done something wrong, but you've been under pressure. Going hard on yourself is not going to help the child, your number one priority.

Just stop the thieving for now, and reassess after a month. You'll be of no help to anyone if you are out of a job.

Askaquestion

I have stopped. I know DSP have made enquiries about the worker to the company. Records show them as working so now they will be investigated and it will all come out. I am trying to talk to someone in Revenue to try and pre empt it and py the money back

BabySlam

As it will all come out you should report it yourself to your manager and beg for a chance to repay it and apologise of course. you must hope they will look at your full story and give you a chance.

Askaquestion

I was thinking of talking to worker in question and explaining to them. Ask them to make an appointment with dsp office and accompanying them to explain

hawkwind23

Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you king

Best of luck OP , your situation WILL improve , stay strong.

Find someone in your company with empathy and talk to them , tread carefully , you dont want to set in motion a process that will ensure protocol has to be followed to the letter.

My view is that you are on the verge of this happening , but you are being active , find the right person to talk to.
Hope things work out for you and the kid

Tzardine

Maybe an option but how well do you know the staff member that was giving you the cash ?

You could explain the situation to them. Give them the cash and ask that they write you a cheque or get a bank draft for the full amount.

Then all you have to say to the company is that the employee was paid the social welfare in error and here it all is back( DSP do also pay into bank accounts so it is believable )

I would not be in hurry to tell your employer, not if you want to keep your job. You cannot rely on their empathy, and once the trust has been broken, its almost impossible to get it back IMO

There is no point going to the DSP office at all. The money needs to be paid back to the company, not the DSP.

KERSPLAT!

If they're already making enquires then I think it best to come clean with the company and DSP. All the best, hope you get sorted.

Askaquestion

If I inform DSP of the situation and give details of the worker and look to repay the money will they have to inform my employer?

KERSPLAT!

I don't think anyone here can answer that with any certainty but I would have assumed so.