€36m saved in child benefit crackdown - Kennedy

Dublin North T.D. Michael Kennedy has supported the action being taken by the Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív T.D. which has saved €36 million through a crackdown on child benefit claims, ensuring that those in most need of support can access it.

“The crackdown on child benefit claims has saved €36 million this year and could mean €110 million in blocked payments for all of 2010, with up to 15,000 claimants expected to be excluded from the payment,” said Deputy Kennedy.

“Since January 276,000 letters have been sent out to child benefit recipients seeking to verify details of those in the system.  Migrant workers who have returned home and Irish citizens who have travelled abroad in search of work are among those being struck off by the department.”

“The value of payments saved is predicted to exceed last year’s €89 million, and could reduce the annual €2 billion child benefit bill by more than 5%.  While the Department of Social Protection has a number of checks in place to make welfare fraud more difficult, it still wants to ensure that payments are accessible to those who need them,” added Deputy Kennedy.

“In June I highlighted the fact that approximately €114 million had been saved following thousands of reviews in the One-Parent Family Payment scheme.  The work that’s being done by the Minister for Social Protection is aimed purely at ensuring that those most in need of State support are able to access it.  As a result of the constraints on the public finances it is essential that everything possible is done to ensure money is not paid to those not eligible for child benefit or other supports such as the One-Parent Family Payment scheme,” concluded Deputy Kennedy.