In the United States, under a law passed by president Abraham Lincoln, it is possible – although unusual – for any person to take another to court for welfare fraud and keep up to 30 per cent of the money recovered.

The DUP is on the cusp of giving Stormont a comparable ability. Gordon Lyons, the party’s Minister for Communities, is in discussions with the UK treasury to keep half the savings from tackling benefit fraud and error. All savings are currently retained by London. Lyons says this can deliver an initial £25 million (€28 million) a year for the Northern Ireland Executive, with more coming in as his department employs additional inspectors and introduces new processes and technology.

That would add 0.2 per cent to Stormont’s block grant, not an insignificant sum. But Lyons is interested in more than money – he wants a broader debate on the politics and ethics of the benefits system. Last year, he resumed publicising the names of people convicted of benefit fraud. This had been stopped in 2020 by his Sinn Féin predecessor, who called the practice “unnecessary”.

Explaining his decision, Lyons told the Assembly benefit fraud is “not just a financial issue” but also a “moral one”. “When individuals cheat the system, they are not........

© The Irish Times