Hse issued 5 cheque in error to man who is 11 years dead

A €5 cheque made out by the HSE to a man who is 11 years dead popped through a letterbox in Castlebar last week.

A note accompanying the cheque informed the deceased he was due the money because he had overpaid in prescription charges in the period December 2013 to June 2014.

The ‘recipient’s’ widow was flabbergasted to see the envelope addressed to her husband, who passed away in 1999. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, explained: “At first I thought it was another bill but then I saw the envelope was addressed to. . .my late husband.

“When I opened the letter and saw the cheque I asked myself: ‘What on earth is wrong with them?’ When I rang the HSE I told the man who answered: 'I have a problem. You sent a cheque out to (named husband)'. He asked: ‘What’s the problem with it?’ I said: ‘Well, he’s dead for 11 years’.”

The widow, a granny many times over, went on to say that the HSE person she had been speaking to then apologised profusely for the error.

In a lighhearted vein, she told the HSE official: “You’re sorry. I’m a lot more sorry because I could have been drawing the pension for the past 11 years!”

The official then asked the widow to return the cheque but she said she wouldn’t as it ‘would cost me more to do so’. The conversation ended with the widow telling the HSE person before hanging up she would be framing the cheque and hanging it on her wall.

“It all smacks of a bit of carelessness on the part of the HSE to say the least,” the woman remarked.

The HSE has described the mix-up as an administrative error and apologised to the woman involved and her family.