Audit Finds Millions In Questionable Welfare Payments

An audit of the state's welfare agency has identified millions of dollars in questionable payments to people who were dead or otherwise ineligible for benefits, along with missed opportunities to detect potential fraud.

State Auditor Suzanne Bump says the report made public by her office Tuesday found 1,164 instances in which benefits were paid to individuals who were reported to be deceased, totaling nearly $2.4 million.

In most cases, the fraud occurred when someone else used an electronic benefits card belonging to someone who had died.

The audit also found the Department of Transitional Assistance failed to follow-up on internal reports of $15 million in potentially fraudulent EBT activity.

The agency's acting commissioner, Stacey Monahan, says a 100-day action plan launched in March has already corrected some of the issues identified in the audit.  (Associated Press)