DEPARTMENT: Employment and Economic Assistance
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Accept Grant Funds From Minnesota Department Of Human Services For Fraud Prevention Investigations And Execute Grant Agreement
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize acceptance of Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) grant funds for Fraud Prevention Investigations (FPI) and execution of the grant agreement.
SUMMARY
Dakota County Employment and Economic Assistance (E&EA) has historically partnered with DHS to administer a public assistance FPI program pursuant to Minn Stat. ? 256.983, to facilitate fraud prevention, detection, and investigations. The FPI program assists public assistance program integrity, promotes repayment of fraudulent claims, and refers certain cases for criminal prosecution or for administrative disqualification of public programs. Public assistance programs include the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Diversionary Work Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Emergency Programs, Child Care, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, and Health Care programs.
An FPI grant agreement is required to be in place with DHS to administer the program and to obtain reimbursement for FPI program costs. The grant will continue to fund a 1.0 full? time equivalent Welfare Fraud Investigator in E&EA and training opportunities.
OUTCOMES
How Much? In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 (July 2023 - June 2024) there were a total of 593 FPIs completed. Twenty of the 593 cases were referred to the county attorney to review for criminal prosecution. On average, there are 49 referrals sent over for an investigation per month.
How Well? The average time to complete an FPI investigation is 5 days, which is significantly lower than the 15-day program requirement. The cost benefit ratio (CBR) for the FPI program in SFY 2024 was $10.30, compared to the state CBR requirement of $3.00.
Is Anyone Better Off? The FPI program identified a...
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