Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 247C

Disqualification from receipt of benefit where identity not authenticated

Section 247C empowers the Minister to require benefit recipients to verify their identity, and provides for disqualification from benefit where they fail to do so.

• The Minister may issue a notice requiring any person receiving a social welfare benefit to confirm their identity by a specified date.
• A person who fails to satisfy the Minister as to their identity after the deadline in the notice is disqualified from receiving their benefit (including any increases) for the duration of that failure.
• The notice may require the person to attend a designated office, produce documents, allow a digital photograph to be taken, and/or provide a digital signature — all for identity authentication purposes.
• The Minister retains digital photographs and signatures electronically and is not limited to these methods — any other authentication method considered appropriate may also be used.