Audit: Mass. paid welfare benefits to the dead

Published May 28, 2013 10:35pm ET



BOSTON (AP) — An audit of the state’s welfare agency has identified millions of dollars in questionable payments to people who were dead or otherwise ineligible for benefits, along with missed opportunities to detect potential fraud.

State Auditor Suzanne Bump says the report made public by her office Tuesday found 1,164 instances in which benefits were paid to individuals who were reported to be deceased, totaling nearly $2.4 million. In most cases, the fraud occurred when someone else used an electronic benefits card belonging to someone who had died.

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