Evening star., 1939-01-15
80 Cases Of Fraud
Or Chise|ing Charged
In Relief Report
Added Chapter Declares
Case Worker FoiIed
To Act Upon Facts
(Continued From First Pase.)

To Act Upon Facts
Continued From First Page)
assistance, or in the home care"
classification. He suggested adop-
ton of such provisions under gen
eral relief disbursements.
II Citations Are Given.
The "failings" of the case work
stan were recited by the special
investigation in II citations. These
findings, in part, are:
1T has been fully demonstrated
that the case workers and case
supervisors are not qualified, by
training or experience, for inves-
legations of this nature drregular
and fraudulent practices), and the
proper reporting of these matters to
their superiors.
Investigations of fraudulent ac-
tivities on the part of relief recip-
tents are conducted by case workers
In conjunction with their ordinary
case work and, as case workers are
responsible for an average of about
$50 cases per worker, it Is apparent
that intensive and necessary in
vestigation Of fraudulent cases is
but q remote possibility.
Case workers have shown an ap-
parent mental conflict In arriving
at an opinion Gin fraud case recon-
mendations). On the one hand,
they are cognizant of the moral
value Of requiring repayments by
clients 80 and, on the other hand,
they do not consider 1t good social
planning to require relief recip-
tents with meager incomes to re-
tmburse the agency. even though the
overt acts of the client reflect that
they have defrauded the agency"
AL Facts Held Not Taken.
Case workers reports OF in.
vestigations o. fraud angles have
reflected that they have not obtained
AL the facts, or have not reported
them"
Investigation reports have not
been supported by signed statements
OF clients who benefited by relief
grants to which they were not en-
titled.
There is little evidence that case
workers have familiarized themselves
with the histories Of cases recorded
prior to the assignment to their
hands.
"Caseworkers have failed consist
emily to verify facts Of other income
and resources Of clients, real or
personal, during investigations.
Both caseworkers and super
visors have failed to include in their
reports or investigations, informa-
tion which shows repeated DEM
onstrations Of bad faith on the
part of clients, some who are known
to be committing other legal viola
tions and some with known criminal
records. On the contrary, however,
there are frequent instances where
the caseworkers have colored their
reports in favor Of the clients"
Welfare Director Elwood ". Street
and the director of public assistance,
Miss Alice Hill, were taken to task
for what Mrs. Mccoy found their
failure" to push development Of
cases for prosecution.
Fictitious Names Used.
Fictitious names were used by the
investigator In his description Of
the 80 cases. -Four Of these were
outlined - follows:
CASE or JOHN BRAY"
Public Assistance Division No. 600.
Type Of fraud.-1n four applica-
tions to the Public Assistance Divi-
sion for relief assistance dated
S-l6-32, 1854, 11-21-35 and 7-20-36,
client concealed private income from
steady position where he received
$40 per month, and also two other
intermittent places of employment,
all combined giving approximately
$3.50 annual income, thereby causing
Public Assistance Division to rem
der financial assistance monthly in
an amount Of sum they would not
have given had they been aware of
said private income.
Initial knowledge.-This case was
transferred from Caseworker Harris
to Caseworker Roth some time be-
tween 6-27-38 and 1883. On
7-18-38 Caseworker Roth, no longer
a member Of the Public Assistance
Division staff, notes In case history
dictation that before this case came
across our desk oficially We received
q report that client had three jobs"
Investigation.-Caseworker Roth
verified employment and received
admission from client.
Disposition.-Relief grants held up
August l. 1888; 10-3-3S Supervisor
Bourne writes factual memo of fraud
case to Director Hill. Evidently case
referred to corporation counsel, who
renders decision inferring this case
should be referred to district attor-
ney. Copy attached marked Ex-
hibit A.
Investigators comment. - Aside
from what happens to this case If 1t
reaches the hands Of the district at
torney, there Is reflected loose and
improper case work, for the reason
that 1t seems that at some period be-
tween April, 1884. when relief grants
frst started, and July. 1898, when
Caseworker Roth indicates his
knowledge Of clients employment,
that one of the IL previous case
workers could have become aware
that the man enjoyed additional
income"
CASE OF BOB AND MILE
THOMAS"
Public Assistance Division, No. 6O4
Type of fraud-Concealment of