CAG says many Asylum seekers abusing welfare system

[TheOmbudsman]

Extracts from the most recent report by the CAG, John Purcell:

With respect to applications for PPS numbers, he says

Acceptance of asylum seekers’ identity cards conflicted with the rigid demands made of other
applicants.

The consequences of such fraudulent applications are

Many bogus applicants already had PPS numbers and frequently were asylum seekers in receipt of state benefits
• The use of bogus PPS numbers was giving their holders entitlements to welfare benefits
• The internal evaluation in 2000 tested a random sample of 1,593 PPS numbers issued to purported EU applicants (deemed high risk). 10% of these turned out to have been fraudulently obtained.
There was also a significant number of ‘suspicious’ other cases.
• The internal evaluation in 2000 estimated losses at €25 million to €50 million per annum
• PPS numbers could be used to help open bank accounts, obtain credit cards etc.

Some action has been taken to combat this, though obviously not enough:

In 2003, the Department established a liaison with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. This liaison has resulted in estimated monthly savings of approximately €300,000 mainly from asylum seekers involved in identity and welfare fraud.

One short and limited study revealed:

Checks over a 2-week period at the public counter of the Central Revenue Information Office cast doubts on the validity of the identity of 70 callers who presented a PPS number at the counter.

Finally, of the bogus applications for PPS numbers that were actually detected as being fraudulent in 2004, only 1 from 324 was from an Irish person, ie 99.7% of the identified fraudsters were foreigners

[Catalpa]

Very interesting stuff. Very interesting indeed. Matter of interest though but who or what exactly is CAG?

[JCSkinner]

Comptroller and Auditor-General.
Ok, I now await the PC brigade to show up with some excuses for why we're only imagining this...

[FutureTaoiseach]

This doesn't surprise me one ounce!

[smiffy]

Comptroller and Auditor-General.
Ok, I now await the PC brigade to show up with some excuses for why we're only imagining this...

Here you go:

[JCSkinner]

Is that the PC brigade or what I should be imagining?
Weak response, man.

[smiffy]

Is that the PC brigade or what I should be imagining?
Weak response, man.

Obviously it is. I'm not sure what kind of response you're looking for. If you actually expect 'the PC brigade' to show up, you'll be waiting a long time. It doesn't exist, and you're arguing against a straw man.

[FutureTaoiseach]

The PC (political-correctness) brigade does exist metaphorically. They are the commentators - and those agreeing with them - who always rubbish the arguments of those calling for a crackdown on illegal-immigration and the abuse by them of the social-welfare system - especailly by calling such people "racists".

[smiffy]

The PC (political-correctness) brigade does exist metaphorically. They are the commentators - and those agreeing with them - who always rubbish the arguments of those calling for a crackdown on illegal-immigration and the abuse by them of the social-welfare system - especailly by calling such people "racists".

Metaphorically?

[Worldbystorm]

What is the point of this exactly? That we have a rubbish system? Sure. That (some) asylum seekers are going to use it to their advantage? Sure, that's human nature. That all asylum seekers are abusers of the system? Nope.

The lesson is that the controls on the system are lamentably poor. Tighten up the system, in particular the first point the CAG's office made,

Acceptance of asylum seekers’ identity cards conflicted with the rigid demands made of other applicants.

Problem? Problem solved.