Proposed changes to child benefit for foreign nationals

Aside from reduction of child benefit of foreign nationals, to help reduce fraud, the Social and Family Affairs Oireachtas Committee proposes:-

• A crackdown on separated fathers who do not pay child maintenance for their children. This would include ensuring a father’s name is registered on a child’s birth certificate – which is not mandatory at present – to help recovery of maintenance payments.

• A mandatory national ID card with biometric information for all citizens – similar to those other EU states – to help tackle identity fraud.

• Implementing long-standing plans to reform the lone parents allowance which would axe the “cohabitation rule” that recipients must not be living with a partner.

• More frequent monitoring of welfare schemes that are most susceptible to fraud, including the jobseekers’ allowance and lone-parent payments.

• More unannounced home visits to social welfare claimants to help tackle fraud.

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(Source: The Irish Times)