North Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA, Robin Swann has called on the Minister for Social Development to clarify the implications of a new initiative by the National Fraud Office.
Mr Swann said:
"I have been contacted by a number of constituents regarding a new initiative by the National Fraud Office which shares information from a number of sources in an attempt to uncover benefit fraud. It appears that the system has a number of flaws which have resulted in individuals being wrongly identified as potential benefit cheats.
“In some cases people on Housing Benefit are being wrongly identified as having indicated a desire to buy their homes thereby triggering an investigation into how they could afford such expenditure. This has caused undue worry to people and I have written to the Minister for Social Development to ask him to provide details of how such mistakes can be reduced."