Government To Withdraw Auto Dole Payments

Dole payments direct into claimant bank accounts are to be scrapped by the Government, following suspicions of widespread fraud.

The change is to tackle workers who have taken jobs abroad and keep claiming unemployment benefit while working in another country.

The plan was announced officially by Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin on Monday, and proposes claimants sign-on at post offices weekly, rather than have the payments made automatically to them.

Mary Hanafin has pledged to save over €500 million in fraudulent claims losses. A recent investigation showed that almost 10% of claimants were found not to be resident in Ireland at the time they claiming benefits, or were claiming a level of benefits which they were not entitled to.

Minister Hanafin said: "Every person who is entitled to their benefit – either jobseekers benefit or jobseekers allowance – will get their payment every week at their local post office.

"Individuals who are not living in the country and who are not genuinely seeking work are not entitled to claim a payment from the State."

Previously, people on the Live Register signed-on once a month at their local Social Welfare Office.

This was all that was necessary to ensure continuity of payment into their bank account.

Meanwhile in the UK, benefit claimants could soon be forced into community work under UK Government plans to get millions of the unemployed back to work.

A Welfare Green Paper is expected to include proposals to force those unemployed for more than two years to work within the community.

See: Benefit Claimants Could Be Forced To Work

(DW)