What is Welfare Fraud and who’s paying the price?

What is Welfare Fraud and who’s paying the price? Welfare fraud is misuse of various welfare programs; the people who suffer the most from this are the ones who should get benefits but can’t because there is no more funds available and the taxpayers who pay for it. Basically fraudsters withhold certain information or provide inaccurate or false information to receive benefits. The three most common types of welfare fraud are purposely providing misinformation regarding household family members, failing all forms of income or falsifying information about an inability to work. Welfare fraud often allows someone to acquire benefits that they do not deserve or they receive benefits for …show more content…

According to Associated Press, “Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes says the defendants stole about $1 million in benefits, including welfare, Medicaid and food stamp assistance. Authorities say one couple who were in real estate had about $2 million in their bank account at one point. The husband of another defendant is a wholesale clothing manufacturer.” This case has not been decided as of yet but in Holland Michigan “Nienhuis received food stamps for which she was not entitled, used fraud or false statements to receive food stamps and did not accurately report her income.” She is looking at a possible 20 years but this is still to be determined. But I have found in most case they are kicked off welfare and given probation for the offenses with no jail time. There clearly needs to be stiffer penalties and mandatory jail time for these offenses. It is a problem that will not easily be solved. Kevin says they need to have more people to investigate fraud. I have to agree with him as do my most of my friends as well as my mom. I personally feel that there should be monitoring in the Lobby’s. Preferably with sound and pictures this way they can help stop the fraud being committed in the lobbies. They could use the film and sound recordings as evidence of the fraud and prosecuted the offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Congress has made attempts to bring about welfare reform during the Clinton Administration. With “the