May is Public Assistance Fraud Awareness Month in Ohio, and South Central Ohio Job and Family Services is spreading the word that “Fraud Costs All of Us.”
You'll see flyers around town at local businesses, bus ads on the windows of our City Buses, and T-shirts worn by staff members to promote Fraud Awareness.
In 2016, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services disbursed about $2.4 billion in SNAP food assistance, $237 million in Ohio Works First cash assistance and $617 million in child care provider subsidies. Individuals who mislead caseworkers or lie on an application for benefits account for a very small percentage of the funding disbursed, but the department takes even the smallest fraud cases very seriously.
Applicants and recipients of public assistance programs are encouraged to report their circumstances accurately and timely in order to avoid facing potential criminal charges, program disqualification and repayment of benefits issued improperly.
Residents of Ross county may report suspected public assistance fraud by calling the South Central Ohio Job and Family Services @ 855-726-5237 or going to jfs.ohio.gov/fraud.