Minister asks police to investigate benefit fraud cases
National Audit Office’s report sheds light on flagrant abuse of social benefits
30 January 2014, 12:00am
Tim Attard Montalto
Tim Attard Montalto
2 min read
Marie Louise Coleiro Preca is taking the NAO report on board to address benefit fraud
The minister for the family and social solidarity Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has written to the Police Commissioner asking him to investigate the alleged abuse and cases of fraud in social benefits, which emerged from the recently-published report by the Auditor General 'Addressing Social Benefit Fraud - 2010-2012.'
The report revealed that there were various cases of persons receiving social benefits which they were not entitled to.
In one particular case, a man was alleged to have carried out business transactions amounting to nearly €3.4 million, despite receiving €76,000 in social benefits. The report also revealed that there were many cases where single mothers registered the father of their children as 'unknown', in order to receive additional welfare from the state.
Coleiro Preca said that, in light of the report, an independent task force had been assembled to analyze the recommendations outlined in the report.
The task force is made up of Professor Maurice Mullard, government's financial consultant, Professor Mario Vassallo, and Dr Josianne Cutajar amongst others.
"The aim is to make sure that benefits are given to the vulnerable in society - the one who really need our help," she said.
"By doing away with abuse, benefits could even be increased for such persons," she said, stressing that whoever is found culpable of fraudulent acts must shoulder the responsibility.
Describing the BAO report as an "eye-opener", Coleiro Preca said that it did not only speak about cases of abuse, but also ones of efficiency.
She said that dating back to March of last year - when she became a minister - she found that both the Department of Social Security and at the Department for the Investigation in Benefit Fraud were lacking in resources and clear policies.
In order to combat these inefficiencies, the ministry set up a single means-testing mechanism in November of last year, more than two months before the audit report was published.
These included, amongst other things, a more efficient system of collaboration and coordination between government and various institutions such as the Public Registry, the Employment and Training Corporation, the Tax Compliance Unit, banks and hospitals.
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Good one good luck there is abuse of this sort in every street in malta and gozo thank you to santa giovanna and the other saints .
Joseph MELI •
Why did it take a report tabled in Parliament before action was ordered to be taken?Surely when such fraud is identified IMMEDIATE action should be taken by those responisble .Who was responsible for such inaction and when was this fraud first identified??
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Social benefits is one of the most expensive part of the budget. The sad part is that a lot of those social benefits are squandered on people who do not need it. We all know who they are but the government prefers to keep a closed eye because these people represent votes. All they have to do is cry foul and here come the bleeding hearts and the NGOs running to their side. Social benefits help a lot of deserving people but there are those who take advantage of the system and they squeeze the last drop of blood out of the system if they know how, and there are a lot of people who know how to bleed the system, all at the Tax Payers expense.
