W2C-006 Belfast Telegraph 5-0.txt
BLITZ ON BENEFIT CHEATS Darwin Templeton

Investigators save £ 10m for taxpayers

Benefit fraud officers have uncovered more than 6,500 fraudsters who were attempting to swindle the Social Security Agency in Ulster.

And they believe their investigations saved Ulster taxpayers more than £ 10m in the year to April.

Figures released today show they took 1,182 claimants to court and almost all were convicted of fraud.

Some 17 employers were also prosecuted, of whom 14 were found guilty of colluding in fraudulent claims.

Another 327 people were convicted of irregularities involving giro cheques and order books.

Stiff

But the greatest problem still lies with claimants "doing the double" - claiming benefit while working or while their partners are working.

SSA officers have identified the building trade, taxi-driving and posts in the service industries as "high risk" categories.

Those convicted faced stiff penalties, with 15 people jailed for benefit fraud and a further 59 being given suspended sentences.

There were 3,369 bogus claims detected in the Belfast region, 1,230 in the western region, 1,001 in the southern region and 980 in the northern region.
Commenting on the figures, Health and Social Services Minister Lord Arran, said: "The benefit system is there to help those in need and it is disgraceful that there are still many wage earners who obtain benefit by deception.
"The fact that these results have been achieved in a difficult working environment is an indication of the dedication and professionalism of the staff.

Detected

"The vast majority of social security customers are honest, with genuine entitlement to benefit and as such they have nothing to fear from the Agency's anti-fraud efforts."
Ulster Unionist social security spokesman, Clifford Forsythe, said: "At this time when public finances are under such pressure from so many quarters it is essential that benefits go to those who are properly entitled to them.
"It is very encouraging that the Social Security Agency is making such strenuous efforts to ensure that bogus claimants are detected at an early stage."
