Benefits cheats will be named and shamed under plans for a new ‘zero-tolerance approach’, the Communities Minister has said.
Gordon Lyons outlined his intention to bring back publicising cases of those convicted of fraudulent claims.
He outlined his proposals to the Assembly days after the Belfast Telegraph reported a whistleblower’s concerns about “mass abuse” of the system here.
Benefit fraud here costs over £160m a year, according to latest figures.
Mr Lyons said the benefits system is a key component of a fair and compassionate society, but needs to be protected from abuse.
“Welfare fraud is not just a financial issue,” he said. “It is a moral one.
“When individuals cheat the system, they are not stealing from a faceless entity; they are taking from their neighbours, their friends, and their fellow citizens.
“They are undermining the very safety net that so many rely on. Therefore, let me be unequivocal: I am taking a zero-tolerance approach. I am personally committed to rooting out fraud and ensuring that those who exploit the system face the consequences.”
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In 2020, then Sinn Féin minister Deirdre Hargey ended the department’s practice of issuing press releases identifying benefit fraudsters, claiming the policy was “not necessary”.
At that point, benefit fraud in Northern Ireland cost taxpayers £65m; since then it has more than doubled to £163m in 2023.
Mr Lyons also acknowledged the efforts of staff within his department in benefit delivery and security.
He said the Benefit Security Division, which made around 20,000 investigative contacts last year, would aim to increase that figure to 30,000 in this financial year.
“There is a substantial body of work underway in my department to ensure the right money goes to the right people at the right time,” he continued.
“My department receives approximately 10,000 fraud allegations per year and around 25,000 ‘high risk’ scans which helps us point our resources to the emerging risks. All allegations are triaged before routing to the appropriate team to investigate. This is an indication of how seriously we take this issue.
“My department’s Benefit Security Division works hand in glove with UC [Universal Credit] operations to secure insights and drive real-time learning on suspected fraud and to target resources towards that.
“For too long, there has been a sense that the system is not working for hard-working families and people who do the right thing — that it is too easy for some to exploit, while others who genuinely need help are left struggling. That erodes trust. It undermines confidence. And it is not good enough.
“We must rebuild that trust. We must restore confidence in a welfare system that is fair, transparent, and focused on those who need it most. That is the change I am determined to deliver, and we should not rest until we get it right.”
Mr Lyons’ crackdown comes after the Belfast Telegraph revealed the concerns of a whistleblower, who works as a line manager in a Jobs and Benefits office.
The man, who came into the civil service from the private sector in recent years and has been appalled at some of what he has seen, said there is “a mass abuse of the benefits system across Northern Ireland”, noting that many of those ‘doing the double’ are millionaire business owners.
A Northern Ireland Audit Office report in December, which examined central government accounts for 2023-24, found the NI Housing Executive estimated a total of £21.1m of fraud and error for housing benefit expenditure — up from £12.7m in 2022-23.
Overpayments in benefit expenditure by the Department for Communities was estimated at £240m, up £66m from the previous year.