The MPs of the Party of Action and Solidarity propose creating a body that would ascertain violations and would impose penalties when persons who do not deserve benefit from social services and welfare. The initiative was presented in a press briefing on November 12, IPN reports.

“In 2020, the Social Inspectorate identified and reported 1,919 irregularities following 997 applications for social assistance and cold-month allowances. The applications compiled with violations represented 95.6%, while the applications that generated undue payments constituted 60.2%. Of the verified sum of 8.304 million lei, the value of social benefits and cold-month allowances provided illegally represented 2.437 million lei or 29.4%,” said PAS MP Dorian Istratii.

According to him, based on recommendations formulated by the Social Inspectorate, only 144,000 lei was paid back. This is 6.6% of the total sum that was to be refunded.

Out of the 107 cases concerning illegalities in the social service “Mobile Team Intended for Persons with Disabilities”, which were examined last year, irregularities related to the nonobservance of the procedure for accepting beneficiaries into the service were found in 73 cases.

Similar irregularities were identified in 53 cases concerning the social service “Professional Parent Assistance”.

“The information presented above refers to cases examined by the Social Inspectorate in 2020. But the institution’s capacities are limited and this cannot deal with all the irregularities and illegalities existing in this field,” stated the MP.