{"id":2347000,"date":"2024-09-28T07:34:03","date_gmt":"2024-09-28T11:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/welfare-fraud-charges-filed-against-103-recipients-in-pennsylvania-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-28T07:38:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-28T11:38:31","slug":"welfare-fraud-charges-filed-against-103-recipients-in-pennsylvania-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/welfare-fraud-charges-filed-against-103-recipients-in-pennsylvania-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Welfare fraud charges filed against 103 recipients in Pennsylvania &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwelfare-fraud-charges-filed-against-103-recipients-in-pennsylvania-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2347000&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In\u200c Pennsylvania, 103 welfare recipients have been charged with fraud by the Office of Inspector \u200dGeneral, stemming from investigations conducted \u2063over the summer. Most of the recipients face felony charges, which could result in a maximum penalty of\u2063 seven years \u2062in prison and fines of $15,000,\u200d while \u200done case\u2062 is classified as a misdemeanor. The fraud involved misrepresentation of \u2064household circumstances and trafficking of\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-emergency-declared-in-texas-amidst-severe-winter-weather\/\" title=\"Federal Emergency Declared In Texas Amidst Severe Winter Weather\">public assistance<\/a> \u2063benefits, leading to a loss of \u2063over $680,000 \u2063to taxpayers. \u2063 <\/p>\n<p>State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller emphasized the need to maintain the \u2064integrity of\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stimulus-check-update-deadline-to-claim-montana-property-tax-rebate-worth-up-to-675-in-nine-days\/\" title=\"Montana property tax rebate worth up to 5 must be claimed within nine days.\">public assistance programs<\/a>, stating that measures \u2062to disqualify the\u2064 accused from\u200b receiving \u200cfuture benefits aim to recover stolen funds.\u2063 The Department\u2062 of Human Services has pledged to protect these essential programs,\u2063 which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/social-security-update-direct-payment-worth-914-arrives-today\/\" title=\"Social Security update: 4 direct payment arrives today.\">serve vulnerable populations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Legislators are increasingly concerned about abuse of safety-net\u200c programs, \u200dprompting calls for reforms to better safeguard public money. Historical data indicates that \u2062the Office\u200c of State Inspector General has previously\u200b saved Pennsylvania\u200c over\u200b $75 million by\u2063 preventing wrongful payments. Moreover, the \u200cgrowth of welfare programs in Pennsylvania has significantly outpaced population growth, leading \u2062to increased financial \u2064strain \u2062on \u200bthe \u200dstate budget, with Medicaid expenditures being the \u200dhighest \u200cin the nation as a \u2062percentage of the budget. Recently, the\u2064 state \u200dextended a work requirement waiver for food stamps through August \u20632025, \u2063emphasizing the need for program integrity.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Welfare fraud charges filed against 103 recipients in Pennsylvania<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1771411\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Pennsylvania investigators charged 103 welfare recipients with fraud over the summer, according to an announcement Wednesday from the Office of Inspector General.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>All but one of the beneficiaries risk felony convictions, which carry possible maximum penalties of seven years in prison and $15,000 fines. The remaining case is filed as a misdemeanor charge. For deception involving food stamps, cash assistance and subsidized daycare programs, defendants will be disqualified from receiving benefits for the amount of time they defrauded the state.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Each of these charges is a reminder of our responsibility to protect the integrity of the commonwealth&rsquo;s resources,&rdquo; said&nbsp;State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller. &ldquo;We remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure that public assistance benefits are used as intended &ndash;&nbsp;to support those who are truly in need. I am proud that the funds recovered will be returned to help individuals across Pennsylvania.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The investigation revealed that in July and August, the accused &ldquo;either trafficked their public assistance or misrepresented their household circumstances,&rdquo; costing taxpayers more than $680,000. The office said barring the recipients from future benefits will recoup the money lost.<\/p>\n<p>Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh in a statement said the agency prioritizes protecting public assistance programs, &ldquo;which are a lifeline for people in difficult situations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;DHS works diligently to ensure the benefits we administer remain available to those who deserve them, and we are proud to partner with OSIG every day to refer suspected public assistance fraud and maintain the responsible stewardship of these essential programs,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The cases illustrate legislators&rsquo; concerns about the abuse of safety-net programs and the department&rsquo;s&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_e8cfbd94-f33a-11ed-9193-83e03c15448e.html\">need to prioritize reforms that would better safeguard public money<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not an isolated incident, either. Data taken from the&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osig.pa.gov\/Reports\/Documents\/Office%20of%20State%20Inspector%20General%20-%20ANNUAL%20REPORT%20PUBLIC%20FINAL.pdf\">OSIG&rsquo;s 2017-18 Fiscal Year Annual Report<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;shows the agency saved Pennsylvania more than $75 million in benefits that would have been incorrectly paid. It also projected a cost-benefit of nearly $12 for every $1 spent on investigative activities.<\/p>\n<p>During a 2023 committee hearing, the Foundation for Government Accountability said weakness in program design&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_b6daacb0-b6de-11ed-9620-fb14783fe4b9.html\">diverts benefits away from those who truly need them<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;and into the hands of those living above the income limits &ndash; even millionaires.<\/p>\n<p>Back in 2019 &ndash; when Gov. Josh Shapiro was serving as attorney general &ndash; he supported legislative reforms to crack down on Medicare fraud, which he estimated cost Pennsylvania $3 billion per year.<\/p>\n<p>Legislators warn that it&rsquo;s an expensive problem that only worsens as the list of beneficiaries grows longer every year.<\/p>\n<p>In 2000, Pennsylvania had 760,000 residents receiving food stamps. Now, almost 2 million receive them. Growth in Medicaid has been similar: The state spent $10.7 billion on 1.3 million residents in 2000, but now, it spends almost $47 billion to provide Medicaid benefits to 3.3 million residents.<\/p>\n<p>Welfare expansion has outpaced population growth: Pennsylvania has only gained 700,000 residents since 2000. The state budget is now dominated by safety net spending that runs through the Department of Human Services.<\/p>\n<p>Though human services eat up a significant chunk of all state budgets, the commonwealth stands out:&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_19ebec1e-1dfa-11ef-be5b-9f1be3ef51db.html\">Pennsylvania&rsquo;s Medicaid expenditures as a percentage of its budget is the highest in the nation<\/a><\/strong>, according to an analysis from the Foundation for Government Accountability.<\/p>\n<p>In August,&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_973646d8-744e-11ef-9127-2bffd68dcff5.html\">the state renewed the work requirement waiver for food stamps<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;through Aug. 31, 2025. State data shows nearly 200,000 residents of the more than 2 million enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, fall into this category.<\/p>\n<p>Without a waiver, able-bodied adults would have to work at least 20 hours a week or spend the equivalent amount of time in a workforce development program. Until the requirement is met, benefits would be limited to three months over a three-year period.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty-nine House Republicans, in a&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/chrome-extension\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/repnelson.com\/Display\/SiteFiles\/379\/OtherDocuments\/2021\/2364_001.pdf?utm_source=Listrak&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_term=https%3a%2f%2frepnelson.com%2fDisplay%2fSiteFiles%2f379%2fOtherDocuments%2f2021%2f2364_001.pdf&amp;utm_campaign=Defending+Resources+for+our+Most+Vulnerable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>letter sent to Arkoosh<\/strong><\/a>, said waiving the work requirement prolongs government dependency and worsens the state&rsquo;s labor shortage.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters beg to differ, saying many programs go beyond food stamps.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/www.urban.org\/sites\/default\/files\/publication\/104451\/the-impact-of-snap-able-bodied-adults-without-dependents-abawd-time-limit-reinstatement-in-nin_0.pdf\">In an analysis<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;from the Urban Institute, able-bodied adults are considered a &ldquo;challenging&rdquo; group to serve. These beneficiaries are more likely to be homeless or live with a mental or physical condition that doesn&rsquo;t qualify as a disability, even though it makes working unrealistic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1771411\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1771411\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welfare fraud charges filed against 103 recipients in Pennsylvania<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2347002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Pennsylvania_Legislature_Campaign_1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4035,41901,5836,32076,41900],"class_list":["post-2347000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-charges","tag-government-assistance","tag-pennsylvania","tag-washington-examiner","tag-welfare-fraud"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Pennsylvania_Legislature_Campaign_1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2347000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2347002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2347000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2347000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2347000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}