The social benefits racket has impacts which are not seen on the surface.

A clear example of this was highlighted last week, in an interview that was carried in The Malta Independent on Sunday.

The disability benefits racket had rocked Malta. It saw funds handed out to people who were not supposed to be eligible for such financial assistance. Court cases against those who were allegedly behind the racket are still ongoing. The courts will decide who is guilty and who is not.

Speaking with this newsroom, the CEO of the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA) Ruth Sciberras said that the racket not only affected vulnerable individuals who are eligible for this assistance, but it has also left a scar on social workers who dedicated their lives to helping those in need.

She said that the public tends to generalise, assuming everyone is involved in wrongdoing, when in reality, many professionals are deeply committed to helping those in need. She stressed that while corruption must be addressed, it is essential to recognise the dedication of those who work tirelessly to support vulnerable people.

The scandal not only cast a shadow on people who receive such benefits, but as Sciberras says also cast a shadow on social workers.

This is the hidden impact of such abuse.

Social workers give their all to help and support those who need it, and they should not have to feel as though they are being viewed with suspicion.

After the scandal came to light, Sciberras said, measures were implemented in a bid to curb the abuse. "If one steals from vulnerable people, they must bear the consequences," Sciberras said. "Every system has flaws, but we must work to minimise abuse."

"Sometimes people do not realise that when you abuse the system you are robbing yourself from receiving that service should you ever need it, and you might not find it," Sciberras said. Not only, but it also has a negative impact on people who need that service now also.

The importance in ensuring that there are strong enough safeguards to prevent corruption from taking place in the first place is of the utmost importance, in any sector.

Those who abuse will eventually be caught, and then legal issues will compound on any other issues that were had in the first place. Some might have tried to abuse of the system because they fell on hard times, but by doing so it not only led to prosecution for stealing public funds and legal stress, but also having an impact – as mentioned above – on those who need those benefits and those who work in the sector.

One hopes that the safeguards that have been introduced will be enough to ensure that there will not be any abuse of such benefits in the future, and the government should also look at strengthening safeguards in other social benefit areas also.