Food stamps frauds

Food stamps fraud entails omitting personal information, which will make an individual qualify for food stamps or public assistance. For instance, if there are any questionnaires to be filled, an individual will withhold some information or alter the truth. This action is considered as fraud even if the fraudster will not get the food stamps. Fraudulence is increasing among the people, and it has become a matter of concern to the authorities. It is a major problem in the welfare department and there is need for lasting solutions, which will alleviate this problem (Hananel, 59).

Welfare fraud is a serious matter if it is detected. The culprit will be investigated by a special branch of the social service department. The investigators interview people who are close to the culprits like neighbors, employer or property owner. It assists them to find out the truth about the culprit’s living conditions. Anyone found guilty is charged according to the decision of the investigators. Some people are forced to pay back the amount they have used in the food stamps (Hananel, 65). Others are discontinued from the program while others are prosecuted for criminal actions.

Fraudulence in food stamps also happens with storeowners. Food stamps are only applicable to essential foods and not luxuries like alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Unfortunately, some storeowners allow people to buy such commodities. For example, A storeowner in Marietta, was sentenced to jail for allowing beneficiaries of food stamps to buy unapproved commodities (Dept. of Health and Human Services, 10). In addition, she charged more for unapproved goods bought with food stamps. The court was furious with her actions and it demanded she has to repay all the money she has acquired unlawfully.

Changing food stamps for money is also illegal. This is because the stamps are only meant to buy basic foodstuffs. Exchanging them for money will make the beneficiaries to use the money for other non-basic requirements. Exchanging food stamps for money is considered a felony and the culprit is penalized heavily. For instance, he or she could pay a fine of up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Alternatively, spend twenty years in jail or get a sentence of both jail term and fine. Some benefits like SNAP are extremely specific on how to use their food stamps. Violating their regulations causes serious consequences.

One of the states with the highest rate of food stamps fraudulence is Minnesota. It has been ranked forth in states with most cases of frauds in food stamps. The government has specifically focused on it to reduce this vice. About three percent of beneficiaries report their benefit cards are lost or stolen (Mantovani & Olander, 41). A good number of these cases are not genuine. Such people sell their benefit cards for cash to grocery stores. The beneficiary then seeks a new one with claims the previous is lost or stolen. This state does not only have frauds on food stamps but also theft on debit cards.

There has been an interesting opinion from the public that approved food for food stamps suggests fraud. These foods are unhealthy for children because it is full of sugars and chemicals. Some people feel the money spent to finance food stamps only deteriorates the health of its users. The government is capable of providing better food varieties like milk, beans and other low processed foods for the needy people (Mantovani & Olander, 57). The current foods are only making the children obese and vulnerable to diseases. Some taxpayers feel their money needs to be utilized wisely. Food stamps should be used to by foods with valuable nutrients and not just any cheap foods.

Food stamps are meant to relieve hunger and boost low-income earners. Those who involve fraudulence, sabotage these benefits. For instance, when one cheats about his or her income and gets the benefit, it prevents another genuine needy family from getting help. This is an act of selfishness and dishonesty to the authority. The government is unable to support as many people as it should because the benefits are going to the wrong people. The left out families continue to suffer and struggle for basic needs like food (Dept. of Health and Human Services, 21).

The money financing food stamps is from the tax and revenues received from the public. It is unfair to the taxpayers if their money is not used wisely. They continue to pay more taxes because of the high cost of living yet a large portion of that money is not utilized well. The government spends about twenty billion dollars to finance food stamps. It is unacceptable to citizens when even a penny of this amount does not benefit a needy person and instead, it is used by a fraudster. This issue has made the public to demand stern measure from the government.

When social programs have loopholes to cause fraud it taints the government’s image. The public sees as if the government is lenient and not exercising its full power to stop the fraud. In some fraud cases, employees of the social programs are involved. They intentionally choose specific people for these benefits because of selfish reasons (Government Accountability Office, 9). In such cases, the public becomes upset with the government for letting dishonest people work in public service. The government has a difficult task of eradicating fraud in food stamps to improve its image among the people.

Food stamp fraud does only affect beneficiaries, taxpayers and the government but also the culprits. They lose the benefits, pay fines and waste time serving their sentences. For example, the Marietta storeowner found guilty of fraud was sentenced two years and nine months in prison. She was a provider of her family and had to request a few month for planning her family’s welfare before going to prison. This is an unhappy situation because her family was left to struggle after their provider was sent to prison. Her store was also closed down and the court demanded she had to pay all the money she had robbed the government.

The government is fully aware of this problem and it has formulated policies, which will solve this problem. According to Hananel (74), the department of agriculture proposed that those claiming to lose cards several times should be investigated. These beneficiaries ask the service providers to replace their cards too many times. Most of such people are selling their benefit cards and claiming they are lost. These types of actions should raise red flags to the authorities. These beneficiaries should be held accountable and help the investigators to find out the truth.

The authorities are directing their part of their focus on social media. This is because some of the fraudsters are selling their benefit cards through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Others are advertising them on Craigslist and eBay for sale. Such cases are easy to identify the perpetrators by getting their details and tracking them down. Sadly, it is only a portion of fraudsters using this method. The rest of them are using other difficult methods to identify. However, the social service department is using other strategies to mitigate this situation.

There are so many reasons for changing cards, which are not involved with fraud. As the authorities hunt down fraudsters, they are expected to formulate strategies for beneficiaries who want genuinely to replace their cards. Some of these people are the elderly and disabled people likely to lose their cards. According to the current terms, social service personnel are not allowed to question beneficiaries about frequent card replacements. This method should be used because it will assist the authorities to discover fraud should there be any. Lack of questioning encourages food stamp beneficiaries to continue selling their cards and using the money for other wrong reasons (Mantovani & Olander, 66).

President Obama’s administration is giving more power to social services personnel. This will enable them to improve their investigations on fraudulent cases in food stamps. For instance, if an individual or family asks for replacement more than thrice the same year, social service can demand for an explanation. If the people involved do not comply with these rules, they stand a chance of being discontinued from the program. Fraud in food stamps is costing the country a lot of money it should not be losing. These new rules may seem to interfere with people but they are vital in stopping fraud.

The fight against food stamp fraud should not be left to the government alone. The rest of the public has a big role to play in alleviating this kind of fraud. Anyone who is aware of people practicing this vice should report to relevant authority. These frauds live among other citizens and it is not easy for the government to pin point them. They need help from the people who live with them or around them. Neighbors, friends or employers called upon to testify about fraud are obliged to say the truth. Deception to save the culprit is obstruction of justice and it is punishable. The government should do everything possible and eliminate this vice from the people. It will help more needy people to benefit from this program and discontinue those who do not need it (Government Accountability Office, 35).

Works cited

Dept. of Health and Human Services. The Top 10 “real Facts” About Fraud and Abuse in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program: Top 10 “real Facts” About Fraud and Abuse in Mainecare, Food Stamps and Other Programs. Augusta, Me: Department of health and human services. 2008. Print.

Government Accountability Office. Food Stamp Trafficking: Fns Could Enhance Program Integrity by Better Targeting Stores Likely to Traffic and Increasing Penalties : Report to Congressional Committees. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2006. Print.

Hananel, Sam. Food stamp fraud raising concerns in government offices. Yahoo!News. Web. May 24, 2012. Web. July 18, 2012.

Mantovani, Richard E, and Carol Olander. The Extent of Trafficking in the Food Stamp Program, 2002-2005: Final Report. Alexandria, Va.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis, Nutrition, and Evaluation. 2006. Print.