- TO:
- ALL COUNTY OFFICES
- FROM:
- ALYSON CAMPBELL, DIRECTOR
- SUBJECT:
- EMPLOYEE FRAUD
DISCUSSION:
Employee fraud is a serious threat to program integrity, erodes public trust in the Department of Social Services (DSS), and brings dishonor to public service. Employee fraud will not be tolerated by the Family Support Division (FSD) or the DSS. The Employee Handbook states, "An employee who has practiced or attempted to practice fraud or deception in securing or attempting to secure benefits or grants from a state agency either for him/herself or for another applicant is subject to disciplinary action." Termination will be recommended and the agency will pursue prosecution. Fraudulently authorizing Food Stamp, Temporary Assistance, Child Care, or MO HealthNet benefits for yourself or others is a crime.
An FSD employee must never enter applications or authorize benefits for themselves, their family members, members of their households, or personal friends. Confidential caseloads have been established in the Family Assistance Management Information System (FAMIS) to protect FSD employees from inadvertently accessing or taking action on cases of relatives, household members, personal friends, or coworkers. It is the responsibility of every FSD employee to inform local management when a relative, household member, or personal friend applies for benefits or has an active case in the same office where the employee works, so appropriate action may be taken to assign the case to a confidential caseload. All applications and active cases where an FSD employee is a member of the household must be assigned to a confidential caseload. Only eligibility specialists assigned to confidential caseloads may authorize benefits for other FSD employees. See Income Maintenance memorandum IM-22 Famis Inquiry Access Statewide dated April 15, 2009 for more information on confidential caseloads.
Every FSD employee is responsible for immediately reporting any suspected fraudulent activity to the Investigation Unit. The report may be made by telephone to 877-770-8055 or by email to DLS.ReportFraud@dss.mo.gov. The Investigation unit will maintain confidentiality when possible.
NECESSARY ACTION:
- Review this memorandum with all employees.
AC/jo