State Reimburses County for Retrieving Welfare Monies
Los Angeles County officials Friday received a check for $545,347 from the state to reimburse the county for recovering $19.5 million in welfare overpayments made in Los Angeles during the last fiscal year.
Paperwork errors account for up to 70% of overpayments, said Eloise Anderson, director of the state Department of Social Services. The remainder is cheating by recipients.
The county stepped up its efforts to collect overpayments in 1994 when Gov. Pete Wilson started a reform program. County governments were given new tools to prevent welfare abuse, such as fingerprinting to make sure recipients are not receiving aid under different names, Also, the number of fraud investigators has doubled.
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