Important notice for students – social welfare entitlements

The Department of Social and family Affairs has asked UCD to bring the following notice to the attention of all UCD students.

Extract of letter from the Department of Social and Family affairs, 5 November 2009:

Dear Director of Student Records,

Each year in October, the Department of Social and Family Affairs control section requests data on student enrolments. This information is required in DSFA Control Division for the purpose of prevention of fraud in social welfare payments.

This information is used to identify possible abuses of the Social Welfare system.

Students are not entitled to receive social welfare payments such as unemployment, supplementary welfare or illness payments while attending a full-time course of study.

It is the Department’s policy to consider for prosecution all cases of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system.

Criminal prosecutions are taken against persons who defraud the social welfare payments system. They are taken either by summary proceedings in the District Courts or indictment proceedings in the Circuit Courts.

Please ensure students are reminded that Institutions of Education are required to provide details of student enrolments, each year, to the Department of Social and Family affairs.

Department of Social and Family Affairs
Social Welfare Services
Shannon Lodge
Carrick-on-shannon
Co. Leitrim
Lo Call: 1890 927 999