This highly recognized unit is the leader among New York State counties in uncovering, prosecuting, and deterring welfare fraud. The unit's professional staff continue to save and recover substantial taxpayer dollars by uncovering the fraud of unreported assets, income, household composition, and dual assistance. Officers perform the mandated front-end detection function of the eligibility process to prevent unqualified recipients from receiving benefits. Report welfare fraud to the Case Integrity Unit at 607.778.2519
Front End Detection
The unit's investigative staff assigned to the FEDS program screen and interviews all applicants to the safety net or family assistance program. All applications are checked for accuracy and truthfulness. Investigators conduct home visits to applicants to ensure the resources, residence and household composition reported to the agency is accurate. Applicants that intentionally falsify an application to social services may be sanctioned from future assistance benefits.
Case Integrity
The investigative staff assigned to the fraud program investigates complaints of welfare fraud involving public assistance, food stamps, medicaid, heap and daycare. Complaints are received from the public, internally from Department of Social Services (DSS) staff and by computer matches provided by New York State. Investigators conduct interviews both in the field and on site at DSS. Cases in which a client intentionally received benefits they were not entitled to may be criminally prosecuted and/or sanctioned from future benefits. All cases of over issuance of benefits to clients are pursed by the fraud unit for recovery.
