May is Public Assistance Fraud Awareness Month in Ohio, and the Tuscarawas County Job & Family Services agency is spreading the word that “Fraud Costs All of Us.”
You may have seen the billboards around Tuscarawas County regarding fraud abuse urging the community to report fraud. The biggest concerns are with clients not reporting all members of the household and households not reporting income correctly. Those receiving public assistance are required to report truthfully and are only eligible if they meet income guidelines. If they receive assistance due to fraudulent reporting, they face being criminally charged and prosecuted and losing the opportunity to receive benefits for the rest of their life. The agency investigates about 250 reports per year.
Each year, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services disburses more than $2 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, more than $200 million in Ohio Works First cash assistance and more than $600 million in child care provider subsidies. Individuals who mislead caseworkers or provide false information on an application for benefits account for a very small percentage of the funding disbursed, but the department takes even the smallest fraud cases very seriously.
Since 2012, Tuscarawas County JFS has calculated $1,351,427.27 in overpayment benefits and recouped $998,915.97 of those benefits issued. The agency has two fraud workers who receive referrals, investigate cases, and issue recoupments. Recoupments are usually made by an agreement between the head of the household and the agency and directly taken out of their current assistance, but when the repayments are not made, the State will recoup the overpayment from the person’s tax refunds. The agency can also prosecute for non-payment and then the case is remanded to the court.
This agency appreciates the public’s assistance in referring to fraud issues, as fraud really does cost all of us.
