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Audit: Dead People Got Food Stamps, $29M Spent Out-of-State
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – State officials say a $48,000 audit of Ohio’s food stamp program found roughly $31,000 in questionable costs, including benefits used by dead people and duplicate payments.
State Auditor Dave Yost released the findings of Ohio’s $2.5 billion Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Tuesday.
The audit found 36 cases where recipients received about $24,000 in benefits a year after they died.
Nearly $29 million was spent outside of Ohio, indicating that those recipients don’t live in Ohio or that they’re selling cards and benefits.
The state Department of Job and Family Services tells The Columbus Dispatch the questionable costs are equal to about a tenth of a percent of the total cost of the program.
Yost says the findings indicate fraud isn’t “widespread,” but that even a small percentage can add up.