Peadar Tóibín
Question:103. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms in place to ensure that recipients of social welfare are still residing here full-time. [6638/26]
View answerWednesday, 28 January 2026
Questions (103)
Written answers
My Department is committed to ensuring that only those people who are eligible, receive welfare and other payments. Our overriding objective is to ensure that we pay the right people, the right amount, through the right scheme or programme in an efficient manner. All schemes operated by my Department are subject to ongoing control reviews and continuing eligibility checks, which include the verification of a person's identity and address.
All Social Welfare schemes are subject to periodic reviews to ensure there is continued entitlement. These reviews include seeking confirmation of ongoing eligibility through correspondence and can also include in person 'signing on' at Intreo Centres. Follow up action is taken where a person fails to respond or attend as requested.
Social Welfare Inspectors, including my Department’s Special Investigation Unit, carry out residency checks by calling to a person’s stated address. Other controls are in place where certain payments, such as Jobseekers, are made via the Post Office network rather than by way of bank transfer. My Department is also committed to carrying out Control Surveys on various Schemes. Samples are selected for review and are referred to social welfare inspectors for full investigation.
It is also important to note that Social Welfare legislation obliges every claimant or beneficiary to notify the Department of any change in circumstances which may affect their entitlement, including a change of address. Claimants are informed of this requirement when their payment is awarded.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.