Serious weaknesses in the administration of social benefits have been identified in two recent reports by the Audit Office, raising concerns about delays in eligibility checks, prolonged provisional approvals and payments that continued for years before irregularities were detected.
The findings come as the government proceeds with an expansion of disability-related benefits that is expected to add 5,000 new beneficiaries and cost an additional €106 million between 2026 and 2028.
Minimum income payments continued without final approval
The latest report found that, of 252 Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGI) applications under provisional approval, 242 had not received a final decision despite benefits continuing to be paid.
In 150 cases, payments continued for more than two years, while in 11 cases examined in detail, provisional approval periods ranged from 57 to 129 months.
One recipient received €102,528 between 2017 and 2024 before a review identified inaccurate information concerning income and family circumstances. The benefit was terminated and recovery procedures were initiated for the full amount.
In another case, a woman received €80,607 over almost seven years despite not being registered as unemployed with the Public Employment Service for a significant part of that period. Her application was eventually terminated after she was deemed, among other findings, voluntarily unemployed.
A third case involved a woman who received €44,179 over six years while her application remained under provisional approval due to outstanding divorce documentation. Although the divorce had been granted in 2018 and submitted in 2021, the application was approved only in November 2022 and terminated one month later.
As of January 2026, 149 provisional approvals remained pending, including 28 cases that were already outstanding in 2022.
Deposits and property holdings identified
The Audit Office also identified cases involving beneficiaries with substantial assets.
The report referred to recipients with bank deposits of up to €680,000 and property valued at up to €811,400.
While legislation allows exemptions under certain circumstances, auditors found that in some cases there was insufficient supporting documentation to justify the exemptions applied.
Deputy Ministry says procedures have improved
Responding to the report, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare said the findings were based on 31 cases selected from 2022 records and argued that weaknesses identified in previous years had been addressed through corrective measures introduced from 2023 onwards.
According to the ministry:
- New provisional approvals now last between three and six months
- Applications are processed in approximately two months
- A Complaints Register has been introduced
- Automatic links with the Department of Lands and Surveys have been established
- A unified procedures manual has been completed
The ministry said the 11 applications highlighted in the report have now been resolved and stated that cooperation with the Audit Office continues.
Second warning within seven months
The latest findings follow an earlier Audit Office report published in April that also highlighted weaknesses in the management of social benefits.
That report found that 629 of 4,796 disability benefit recipients examined were not ultimately certified through the relevant assessment system, resulting in termination of payments.
Among them, 489 individuals had previously been classified as permanently disabled.
In November 2024, there were still:
- 1,182 pending disability certification referrals
- 780 outstanding disability assessments
During that period, affected recipients continued receiving benefits.
Additional cases identified
The April report also found that 83 former public assistance recipients had not been assessed for transition to the MGI system despite a decade having passed since its introduction.
The group continued receiving public assistance worth approximately €780,000 per year.
Other cases highlighted by the Audit Office included:
- A family from a third country receiving €231,907 in social benefits between 2009 and 2023 without sufficient verification of continuous legal residence after residence permits expired.
- An EU citizen receiving €63,281 without providing required evidence of residence and income.
- A woman receiving €35,495 over approximately four-and-a-half years while listed as unemployed and disabled without being referred for the required medical assessment.
- A case in which a mother informed authorities in April 2016 of her child's death and submitted a death certificate, yet benefit payments for the deceased child continued to be calculated for another seven years, resulting in an overpayment of €19,391.
Concerns over oversight capacity
The two reports point to a recurring issue identified by the Audit Office: benefit payments were often made before eligibility checks had been fully completed, while reviews and assessments were delayed for extended periods.
The findings come as social welfare authorities continue to expand support schemes, raising questions about whether existing control mechanisms can keep pace with a growing number of beneficiaries.
