Millions In Benefit Fraud Not Prosecuted

Heather Roy
Friday, 1 September 2006
Press Releases - Social Welfare

Parliamentary Questions released yesterday by ACT Social Services Spokesman, Heather Roy, show over a million dollars of debt that has never been prosecuted.

"The $5.6 million welfare fraud that I revealed yesterday included over a million dollars that has never been prosecuted", Mrs Roy said.

"Even worse, these figures only represent the 10 largest debtors on each benefit. The full cost of welfare abuse is much higher.

"The Minister for Social Development and Employment, David Benson-Pope, says that no one is let off the hook, yet even among these 40 anonymous fraudsters, nine were never prosecuted.

"Those nine fraudsters have taken over a million dollars from taxpayers, and no one has been held accountable.

"If an employee stole $200,000 from their boss, they would be in prison - and the same rule should apply to people who take advantage of our welfare system.

"Large-scale fraud like this not only rips off taxpayers, but reflects unfairly on people in real need as well.

"Justice must be done. The Minister needs to come clean about the scale of welfare abuse, and get tough on fraudsters", Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

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