Social Welfare Inspector

A SWI investigates a Customer’s circumstances relevant to the conditions of the Scheme for which the person has applied. The job involves investigating a person’s means, money in all financial institutions, wages, profit/loss from a business, investments, shares, property (bar their home), inheritance, compensation, maintenance from spouse, cash-in-hand. It also involves establishing who they are residing with & that relationship. The means of a spouse/partner can affect the rate of payment due to a Customer. 

SWIs do not make decisions on Social Welfare claims. SWIs also visit Employers to ensure compliance with the PRSI Scheme, present facts & evidence in a report to a Deciding Officer (DO) who must make an independent decision based on the information provided by the SWI.

Assignment 1 – Case Conference - 60% 

Assignment 2 – Investigative Report - 40% 

Graduates of this programme will be able to:

• Verify up-to-date specialist knowledge of all aspects of their role in social protection investigative work and develop detailed knowledge of how this role interfaces with other roles in delivering social protection services. 
• Demonstrate detailed understanding of the legal position under which the Social Welfare Inspector operates and an ability to integrate knowledge from a range of subject areas and contexts underpinning decision-making in a social protection system. 
• Verify knowledge of the operational procedures and behaviours required when undertaking investigative work in a social protection context, including legal and ethical considerations. 
• Illustrate an integrated understanding of the social assistance and social insurance system. 
• Demonstrate an ability to apply detailed technical knowledge to analyse, interpret and assess data in relation to means assessment. 
• Illustrate an integrated understanding of the processes and systems within their role, including quality assurance, risk assessment, and control of fraud and abuse.