Is there a way for the Irish Dept of Social Protection to check on what people do or do not have in other countries, or does the honour system apply?
What is the honour system?
THE GOVERNMENT has issued new guidelines to staff working in social welfare offices to try to prevent hundreds of returning emigrants from being unfairly refused welfare under residency rules.
At least 650 Irish citizens who returned from abroad to live in Ireland were refused social welfare last year for failing to meet the habitual residence condition – a set of rules introduced to prevent welfare tourism within the EU.
In 2009, a further 738 Irish citizens were refused welfare for failing to meet the complex residency rules, which measure a person’s connection to the State to assess if they should get welfare.
The true number of returning emigrants denied payments is probably much higher because the Health Service Executive does not compile statistics for the number of people refused supplementary welfare allowance – an emergency payment commonly paid to those people most in need of support.
The new guidelines issued by the Department of Social Protection state: “Returned emigrants or retired missionaries who have chosen to resettle in Ireland should be considered to have their main centre of interest here.”
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said the guidelines should make it clearer that returned emigrants are likely to be entitled to a welfare payment: “There are no changes in the rules . . . but the guidance will make it easier for staff to identify who is entitled to a payment.”
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