Recipients who willfully misrepresent themselves or their circumstances to receive public assistance are defrauding the taxpayers. To encourage recipient responsibility and to ensure public trust and accountability, expanded sanctions for welfare fraud will be imposed progressively, culminating in permanent ineligibility for public assistance.
To insure that limited tax dollars are spent only for eligible recipients, DSS will participate in an expanded fraud-control program with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Participation will increase revenue by recovering overpayments made to recipients who willfully misrepresent themselves in order to receive benefits. At the same time, the state will receive increased federal financial participation to support similar programs and enhanced federal funding for staff.
This also includes sanctions for people who commit welfare fraud.
Currently, people convicted of fraud do not necessarily lose their eligibility to receive benefits. Under this new program progressive sanctions will be imposed: loss of eligibility for six months at first conviction, 12 months the second time, and then permanent ineligibility for public assistance.
It deters fraudulent activities, provides fiscal savings, and enhances funding for investigative staff.
In addition, I will support the development of legislative language to allow us to do the same for state-funded programs, and pursue the enactment of legislation to provide a legal base for the recovery of overpayments from closed cases.
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