The number of workers who retired early because of invalidity was halved between 2004 and 2012, according to the National Statistics Office. Those receiving invalidity pension dropped to 4,945 in 2012 from 9,313 eight years earlier.

Expenditure on invalidity pensions dropped to €24.6 million from €35.8 million over the period under review according to the NSO’s publication ‘Social security benefits: a locality perspective’.

The drop is believed to have been the result of a campaign to stamp out benefit fraud, including tougher checks on those who are boarded out - both before and after their leave work.  

In Gozo boarded out individuals accounted for 2.5 per cent of the population, compared to 1 per cent in Malta.

More in the Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

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