GAO Report: LIHEAP Fraud Prevention Needed
The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a report (GAO-10-621) finding that the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) needs greater fraud prevention controls. "About 9 percent of households receiving benefits—totaling $116 million—in the selected states [including Ohio] contained invalid identity information, such as Social Security numbers, names, or dates of birth. Although some of these cases are likely due to simple errors such as typos or incomplete data, thousands of other cases show strong indications of fraud and improper benefits. For example, the identities of over 11,000 deceased individuals were used as applicants or household members for LIHEAP benefits. Hundreds of individuals were used as applicants or household members even though they were incarcerated in state prisons, making them ineligible."
For more see here.
