OIG recovers $52 million in benefit overpayments during fiscal year 2022
The OIG’s Benefits Program Integrity (BPI) unit completed more than 15,000 investigations involving some form of benefit recipient overpayment or fraud allegation in fiscal year 2022. These efforts led to the recovery of more than $52.3 million and identified an additional $64.7 million for future recovery.
The majority of completed investigations involved under-reported income or an issue with the number of income-earning household members. Reporting accurate household composition is used by programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and others to determine a client’s eligibility for assistance and the proper benefit amount.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, 94 percent of BPI’s 3,046 completed investigations involved unreported income or an issue with the reported household composition. Of these cases, seven were referred for prosecution and 194 were referred for an administrative disqualification hearing. Some of these fourth quarter cases include:
- Webb County SNAP client disqualified In June, BPI resolved a case involving a client from Webb County who committed fraud by failing to report on her marital status on her SNAP benefits application, omitting her children’s father and his income as part of the household income. From September 2016 to March 2022, the client received $33,045 in excessive benefits. During an interview, the client admitted being legally married to, and living with, her children’s father. The client signed a waiver of disqualification hearing, agreed to pay $33,045 and was disqualified from the SNAP program for 12 months.
- SNAP client accused of committing fraud Members of the BPI unit investigated a client in Tom Green County who intentionally failed to report her children’s father and his income. During the investigation, the investigator obtained corroborating evidence that proved the father was living in the home and earned income. The case was referred for an administrative disqualification hearing and in July the hearings officer determined the client committed fraud. The client was disqualified from the SNAP program for 12 months and ordered to pay back $33,465 in excessive SNAP benefits.
- SNAP client concealed household income In July, BPI resolved a case in Kleberg County where a client committed fraud by failing to report the income of her children’s father when applying for SNAP benefits. Evidence proved the father, and his income should have been reported on the applications. When interviewed the client admitted the father lived with the family and agreed to sign a waiver of disqualification hearing. The client agreed to pay back the $23,718 in excessive SNAP benefits they had received From May 2017 to March 2022, and they are disqualified from the SNAP program for 12 months.