In 1997, the Italian government paid disability pensions to 30,000 dead people. The fraud was discovered when the dead failed to return their census forms. Other Italians apparently work by receive disability payments with the help of bogus medical certificates. A check of 15,000 recipients turned up 5000 fraudulent handicaps. A further 131,000 Italians who are drawing disability pensions must undergo medical examinations to verify their claims. Probably, more than 20% of the payments will be discontinued.