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View Full Version : MA: 'Get Out Vote Leads To Uncovering Widespread Welfare Fraud



Kathianne
01-05-2013, 02:14 AM
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/01/welfare_recipients_%E2%80%98missing%E2%80%99


Welfare recipients ‘missing’

State scrambles as voter mail exposes holes in system




January 4, 2013

Red-faced state officials admitted last night they are trying to find as many as 19,000 missing welfare recipients — after the controversial taxpayer-funded voter registration pitches the state mailed to their addresses last summer were sent back marked “Return to sender, address unknown.”


The Department of Transitional Assistance contacted 477,000 welfare recipients who were on their books from June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, after settling a voter-rights lawsuit brought by Democratic-leaning activist groups that demanded an aggressive voter information effort by the state. That $274,000 push by DTA resulted in 31,000 new voter registrations — but revealed an alarming number of welfare recipients whose residency in Massachusetts can’t be confirmed.


“DTA is in the process of contacting those clients for which a forwarding address was prov*ided to verify their addresses, as a change of address might impact their eligibility,” a statement from the agency said.

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Trigg
01-05-2013, 10:02 AM
How are they getting their welfare cards and money if they don't have a reliable address?

Or does the gov. simply add money to the card monthly??

NightTrain
01-05-2013, 10:06 AM
I'd bet that MA isn't the only state with rampant welfare fraud. I'm sure the total for the US is staggering.

Kathianne
01-05-2013, 10:10 AM
How are they getting their welfare cards and money if they don't have a reliable address?

Or does the gov. simply add money to the card monthly??

Get the card at the office. The 'uploads' are to the card via computer. Doesn't matter where one is.

NightTrain
01-05-2013, 10:19 AM
Get the card at the office. The 'uploads' are to the card via computer. Doesn't matter where one is.


There's still a record as to where those cards were swiped, and I would hope they would keep track of what was purchased. I'd think a good place to start to uncover fraud are the cards that aren't primarily being used for essential household items and food.

Kathianne
01-05-2013, 10:27 AM
There's still a record as to where those cards were swiped, and I would hope they would keep track of what was purchased. I'd think a good place to start to uncover fraud are the cards that aren't primarily being used for essential household items and food.

It seems that there is no 'enforcement' coming on here. It was the fluke of election that the spotlight hit on false information.

NightTrain
01-05-2013, 10:52 AM
It seems that there is no 'enforcement' coming on here. It was the fluke of election that the spotlight hit on false information.


That shortcoming definitely needs to be addressed.

Gaffer
01-05-2013, 12:50 PM
They're all democrats.