Surge in tip-offs to welfare cheats hotline

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar’s campaign to get people to report welfare fraud has led to a doubling in the number of tip-offs.

He had come under fire for his ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign which has involved ads on the sides of public buses and in newspapers.

New figures show that his department has received 818 reports of suspected welfare fraud through its website and its dedicated phone line since ...