I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 175, 176, 178 and 179 together.
Debt management and recovery of overpayments is a key part of the work of the Department. Overpayments of social welfare entitlements can occur for a number of reasons, including through error on the part of either the customer or the department or where a person has provided false or misleading information. The value of most individual overpayments is low on many schemes.
Overpayments in any given year represent less than 0.5% of total expenditure and in this context it is important to note that overpayments arising from customers being paid while absent from the state represents only 3% of overpayment cases raised in any given year.
All schemes operated by my department are subject to ongoing control reviews and continuing eligibility checks. During 2025, my department carried out approximately 716,500 control reviews across a range of schemes. For 2026 a target of 750,700 control reviews has been set.
All recipients are required to notify my department of any changes in circumstance which may impact their payment. This includes plans to be absent from the State. Data on social welfare payments is systematically and periodically matched against other data sources from external bodies including Revenue, as part of the departments control activity. Information is exchanged in line with the appropriate legislative provisions. My department also receives notifications from the Department of Justice of individuals who are no longer entitled to remain in the State and any social welfare payments in place are stopped.
Those who have been overpaid social welfare have a liability to refund the overpayment in full as they have been in receipt of a payment to which they were not entitled. The department is proactive in its efforts to recover all overpayments. A social welfare debt will not become statute barred for recovery. It remains with a debtor for all future entitlement payments and can be collected thereafter from any remaining estate.
My department is satisfied that no significant legislative gaps have been identified that allow welfare payments to continue after customers have left the State.
The tables below provide information on the value of overpayments and recoveries related to absence from the state, broken down by year, scheme, number of customers involved and amounts. Recoveries in any year may include overpayments raised in other years that are being repaid in the current year.
Recoveries (Absent from the state):
|
Year
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
|
Total
|
€3,160,562
|
€3,300,715
|
€3,507,646
|
€3,797,273
|
€4,391.035
|
*Recoveries may include overpayments raised in other years but are being repaid in the current year.
Overpayments by Scheme
