Labour ministry warns of benefit fraud; experts demand civil servant oversight too
Minister Erik Tomáš has highlighted new forms of social system abuse. However, experts point out that the problem is not limited to citizens.
Labour ministry warns of benefit fraud; experts demand civil servant oversight too
The leadership of the ministry of employment and social affairs regularly informs the public of cases of unauthorised drawing of state subsidies. The head of the ministry, Erik Tomáš, presents in his video recordings the specific methods by which, according to him, certain residents are defrauding the public budget. Most recently, he warned of situations where parents declare that they cannot care for their children, and courts subsequently place the children with grandparents or other relatives, even though all parties continue to live together in the same house.
In his statements, Tomáš contrasts the financial circumstances of average households with those that exploit legislative loopholes. As an example, he pointed out that whilst an ordinary family with two children receives €120 in family allowances, groups exploiting these mechanisms can reach up to €900.
Another revealed phenomenon is fictitious acknowledgement of paternity in socially disadvantaged communities. The eldest or disabled men in them formally acknowledge fatherhood so that mothers gain entitlement to widow's pension and children to orphan allowances.
However, an analyst working as a social counsellor points out in a contribution to Denník N that the debate on benefit abuse focuses attention exclusively on recipients and overlooks the role of state employees. According to her, the discussion should be expanded to include oversight of civil servants who assess and approve these applications.
Source: Denník N
Source: Denník N