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Thursday 23 March 2023 Dublin: 9°C

# Social Welfare

All time
# Social Welfare
Committee told man on JobPath scheme had his CV amended against his wishes to conceal his ethnicity
Private companies operating JobPath get over €3k for every jobseeker that makes it through the scheme
# Debt
Government says it's owed €475 million in social welfare overpayments
Minister Regina Doherty said a number of measures are taken to try to recover the monies owed.
# Unemployment
Private companies getting €3,718 for every jobseeker that makes it through the State's Jobpath scheme
How much the companies got paid per person has been shrouded in secrecy since the roll out of the programme.
# Employment
Over 300 cases of social welfare fraud reported to gardaí last year
Social welfare fraud totalled €38.4 million in 2017, down from €41 million in 2016.
# exceptional needs
State has covered the cost of 5,000 funerals and burials over two years
Exceptional needs payments can be made under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
# Social Welfare
Here's what Budget 2019 means for people receiving social welfare payments
The Christmas bonus will be fully restored for the first time since the economic downturn.
# Budget
Welfare increase, fuel hike and income tax cuts: Here's what's coming in Budget 2019
Petrol, diesel, fuel and cigarettes are all set to rise.
# budget 2019
Sinn Féin proposes €400 second-home tax, 5% high-earner levy and pension hike
The party’s alternative budget proposes a €1 billion boost for social housing.
# Social Welfare
Over 11,000 jobseekers forced to do exact same programme twice
Concerns have been raised about the repeat fees being paid to the companies operating the Jobpath programme.
# budget 2019
'A cheap headline': Minister has no intention of scrapping welfare Christmas bonus
She said people on welfare payments were needlessly worried by news reports this morning.
# Social Welfare
Overhauling a dole system that 'discourages' jobseekers could help plug Ireland's skills gaps
The National Recruitment Federation also noted the cost of childcare is keeping people out of work.
# Bad Form
GPs accuse Dept of 'using vulnerable patients as fodder' in row over illness benefit forms
The Department of Social Protection has accused GPs of delaying the payouts of illness benefits.
# Social Welfare
People are waiting weeks for illness benefits due to an issue between GPs and Department
Many people have said that neither their GP or the Department informed them of the changeover in the forms required when claiming their benefit.
# Social Welfare
Over 1,000 inspections carried out by Welfare to detect 'bogus self employment'
More inspections are to be carried out in the near future.
# beast from the east
Extra week of fuel allowance to be paid this week to over 368,000 households after cold weather
In total, an extra €22.50 will be paid to over 368,000 households.
# Storm Emma
Welfare payments due on Friday will now be paid tomorrow
The fuel allowance payment was also doubled for this week.
# Court
Mother-of-four who stole €100,000 in fraudulent social welfare payments sentenced to 10 months
The 61-year-old told gardaí she was “sorry, ashamed and embarrassed”.
# Delayed
Nearly 3,000 fuel allowance payments delayed after technical glitch
The Department of Social Protection said it was investigating the matter.
# extra extra
Christmas bonus to be paid to more than 1.2 million social welfare recipients this week
Abolished in 2009, the Christmas bonus was partially restored by the then Tánaiste Joan Burton in 2014 and has increased to the current 85%.
# thank christ
Election or no election, the Christmas bonus will still be paid next week
But the Social Protection minister says that other changes to social welfare payments are “in limbo”.
# Festive Cheer
The Christmas bonus will be given at the start of December
The cost of the Christmas bonus is €219 million.
# Welfare Fraud
Man who stole €76,000 in welfare payments while running a successful courier business avoids jail
46-year-old Richard Burbridge committed the offences while operating a courier contract for the Courts Service.
# Childcare
Have kids? Here's what Budget 2018 means for parents
An increase to some child benefits, investment in the State’s free childcare scheme and more teachers are among the changes.
# fiver friday
All weekly social welfare payments to increase by a fiver from March
A Christmas bonus of 85% will be paid to social welfare recipients this year.
# factfind
FactFind: How does Ireland's jobseeker's benefit compare to the rest of the EU?
One of the Budget talking points will be how our social welfare benefits compare to our EU counterparts.
# Overpayments
Six people were wrongly paid over €200,000 in social welfare
The six cases have all been reported to gardaí.
# Extortion
Man with intellectual disabilities loses control of income after spending money on dating sites
The man’s food and rent bills have fallen into arrears by almost €2,000.
# wherefore art thou
It's his baby, so where on earth is Paschal Donohoe on the PSC?
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe is as culpable as anyone when it comes to the furore surrounding the Public Services Card. So why is he keeping such a low profile?
# PSC
Data Protection Commissioner calls for transparency over Public Services Card
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty earlier said the card will “give an improved, enhanced and effective service”.
# moo idea
Social welfare recipients to earn extra cash filling dairy farm worker shortage
A new pilot programme will see recipients able to apply for four weeks of training as dairy operatives.
# cis
Social welfare issues made up almost half of queries to Citizens Information last year
The impenetrability of Irish systems cause daily anguish to people, according to Sr Stanislaus Kennedy.
# Your Say
Poll: Do you think all social welfare fraudsters should be named and shamed?
The names will be published on a quarterly basis on the Department of Social Protection’s website.
# Benefit Fraud
Change to Leo's campaign: Only those convicted of fraud over €5,000 to have names published
The names will be published on a quarterly basis on the Department of Social Protection’s website.
# Circuit Criminal Court
Woman who committed €31,000 worth of welfare fraud sentenced to community service
Patricia Sweeney had forged declaration of unemployment forms in order to carry out the fraud.
# On the rise
An extra 1,500 social welfare fraud cases have been reported since start of 'Cheats' campaign
There have been 4,859 reports received by the department since 18 April, compared to 3,322 in the same period last year.
# stephen keary
Limerick mayor hopeful under fire for comments on immigrants claiming social welfare
Councillor Stephen Keary made the comments at a recent council meeting.
# CREATIVE IRELAND
Writers and artists will now find it a lot easier to get social welfare
The government initiative will allow artists access social welfare supports.
# Profile
From poisoned chalice to top of the table, is Leo Varadkar now destined to be Taoiseach?
The Social Protection Minister could succeed Enda Kenny as leader of Fine Gael … and the country.
# carry the one
Leo's department said there was only one identity fraud case this year but there's actually been 11
Sinn Féin has called on the government to end this “dishonest welfare fraud campaign”.
# Welfare Cheats
Most people support Leo Varadkar's welfare fraud campaign - poll
Former social welfare inspector Bernadette Gorman called Varadkar’s latest policy a “solo run” and “hate campaign”.