h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*stares at screen*

So I'm supposed to either continue revisiong last year's story *shudder* or come up with something witty or interesting or banal?

Lemme see... what did I come across in the news today that caught my eye today?

Ah yes, how the Greek government has kept paying out pensions to old age pensioners without even bothering to check if they're still alive, running absolutely NO CROSSCHECKS at all with other systems or registers. Now, to a person like me who works in the financial department of Sweden's biggest hotel chain (at least in turnover - in your face Storhagen!) I am quite shocked at the lack of control.

The example I came across was a person who had retired in 1955 and was still receiving pension at a supposed age of 108.

Yeah, right.

And it's been estimated that as much as 50,000 pensions might have been paid out (per year! since how long?) to people who are no longer alive.

What really gets to me is that none of those who have (obviously) collected the money ever thought of reporting the error.

Because they were too greedy.

See, I know there are Swedes who'd happily keep on collecting the pensions - but I also know there are Swedes who'd be protesting and objecting, thereby bringing the matter to the attention of the authorities.

It also caught my attention that a person (living in Sweden) who tried to get medical aid for her severely sick father (in Greece) and was told that it could be done much faster, if only she paid 'a certain fee'.

And so she went and started a 'how much did yoou pay in bribes?' site, in Greece.

And no, I haven't been able to find either of these stories on BBC news (which is the site I usually refer to).

I might have to post again later, with links in English rather than Swedish.

'Reuters) - Greece has halted welfare or pension payments to 200,000 people either because they are unentitled to the money - or because they are dead, a Labour Ministry official said on Wednesday.

The number of people involved in the abuse, dead or alive, is roughly equal to two percent of the Greek population.

Benefit fraud is common in many welfare states but Greece has come under heavy pressure from the European Union and IMF to crack down in return for its latest 130 billion euro bailout.

Scams often involve people lying to officials who are too disorganised, chaotic or even corrupt to prevent the abuse.

Mismanagement has allowed some families to keep drawing pensions of relatives who have died. However, an unusually high number of 9,000 Greek centenarians drawing old-age benefits prompted the authorities to take a closer look last year.

Simple data cross checks since September had revealed the abuse.'

See? *Simple data cross checks - so why had this not been done decades ago?

{...either because they are unentitled to the money - or because they are dead...}

"I'm sorry Mrs Pappadopolous, we recognise you're fully entitled to this money, but we're stopping it because you're dead."

[Amy P]