Welfare cheques for blind woman cashed 19 months after her death

Cheques for blind welfare allowance being sent to an elderly woman in Cork were still being cashed every month, up to 19 months after she died.

This situation was described yesterday at Cork District Court, although the matter was discovered by the Health Service Executive more than five years ago.

The facts of the matter are that Margaret Quilligan died in May 2016 at the age of 72, but the welfare payments were still being paid out and cashed until March 2018.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said the cheques were lodged to a number of accounts. At Cork District Court, one woman who had two of the cheques lodged to her own account in that period pleaded guilty to theft by deception in respect of those two cheques.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a sentence of eight months, suspended, on Teresa Quilligan of 5 Mount St Joseph’s Close, Cork, in respect of those two counts. Ms Quilligan is a daughter of the deceased.

Judge Kelleher said: 

“It was a terrible breach of trust, taking advantage of the fact that her mother was deceased — it is appalling.”

Imposing the sentence, the judge said he was taking into consideration the limited number of the defendant’s previous convictions.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the €507 taken was being repaid in court now.

“She was a carer for her mother, who was substantially challenged in relation to her eyesight,” he said. “Two of the cheques were encashed by my client [towards paying her mother’s funeral expenses].

“She did the wrong thing, maybe for a reasonable motive. She is a 54-year-old lady with very limited circumstances.”

Outlining the background to the case, Sergeant Gearóid Davis said the late Mrs Quilligan was in receipt of blind welfare allowance since November 2014.

“A payment of €253.50 was paid by cheque each month and posted to her address,” he told the court.

“The HSE discovered in March 2018 that Mrs Quilligan had died in May 2016. The monthly payments had continued during the period May 2016 to March 2018, as the department had not been notified of the death.

“The overall loss to the HSE was €5,194.70.

“Detective Garda Anne Flynn investigated the matter and obtained financial records relating to 19 cheques which had been issued and lodged to bank accounts during the period in question.

“Some cheques issued were lodged to a bank account of Teresa Quilligan, daughter of the deceased.

“Teresa Quilligan was obviously aware that her mother had passed away, but continued to benefit from these cheques. She stated that she used the money for funeral expenses.

“Two of the cheques were lodged to her account, which amounted to €507. She accepted she knew that by lodging the cheques that she was committing an offence.”

While reference was made to the lodgement of cheques to other accounts, only Quilligan has appeared in court in relation to the case so far.