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ANONYMOUS tip-offs about welfare cheats have increased by 748% since the start of the recession, according to figures obtained by the Sunday Tribune.
There were 1,735 reports received in the first four months of 2009 compared to 232 for the same period last year. Only 180 reports were received in 2007.
Tip-offs relating to those working and claiming welfare at the same time received the most significant increase, rising from 95 and 90 in 2007 and 2008 respectively, to 721 this year.
There were also dramatic increases in reports of cohabiting couples cheating the system and those claiming benefits from outside the country.
The Department of Social Welfare employs about 600 people in fraud control and the prevention of "abuse of the social welfare system".
Last year, 560,000 cases were reviewed by staff compared to just 350,000 the year before, while savings of €476m were made catching attempted fraud and internal administrative errors, an increase of €29m on 2007.
Electronic payments to new jobseeker payment applicants were abolished last year, forcing recipients to attend post offices, thereby confirming residency in the country.
If two consecutive payments go uncollected, the claim is automatically suspended.
Social welfare recipients have also been required to start carrying valid photo ID to collect payments at post offices.
In 2008, 357 cases of social welfare fraud were forwarded to the Chief State Solicitor's office for legal proceedings. Of those, 328 cases ended up in court with two prison sentences handed down, along with 19 suspended sentences and 208 fines.
"In recent times, the special investigation unit undertook more regular interviews of jobseeker recipients, particularly those with high risk ratings," a spokeswoman in the department said.
"Border regions have put an increased emphasis on controls on claims from applicants with a previous address in Northern Ireland and department officials are involved in a number of high visibility multi-agency projects."
The spokeswoman added: "One parent family payment recipients with earnings are also targeted for review."
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There is an ongoing social welfare fraud which is being ignored by the department. This involves the claiming of rent allowance and not paying it to the landlord. In the past three years this has cost me around twenty thousand euros.
Since I did not get it, I feel that it would be better that the government had not spent it on the claimants. This is widespread and costs the government millions each year.
In a recent case, the claimant, living in Cavan, insisted that he could not travel from Dublin where he worked in a bar, to collect rent allowance to pay for his house.
However, he never missed collecting it.He said it would look too suspicious if he didn't...
This house, a five bedroomed, 1200 sq metre abode, was being rented to him for a pittance.
To compound the madness of this and episodes such as this, the government is cooking up a property tax... Check what you are spending, and spend it wisely...
By failing to implement the provisions of the welfare legislation, the government is providing a further dis-incentive to working.