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Wednesday, September 24, 1997

State unveils welfare fraud prevention system

By RENAE MERLE / Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- The state on Tuesday unveiled its latest gadget to prevent welfare fraud, touting an electronic fingerprinting system scheduled to be installed statewide early next year.

"Taxpayers spend $2.4 billion annually on the food stamps and AFDC programs in Texas. Most of the two million recipients of this aid are honest," Department of Human Services Commissioner Eric Bost said. "But the public has a right to expect that every step is taken to ensure our dollars only go to deserving families."

The $12.7 million fingerprinting program was tested in Bexar and Guadalupe counties last year and has had good results, agency officials said.

The amount of money involved in welfare fraud is hard to assess, agency spokesman Mike Jones said, adding however that they agency already has prevented some fraud.

For example, a San Antonio man applying for duplicate food stamp benefits using different names was caught with the help of the fingerprinting system, Jones said. The case is under investigation.

"This will really help out catching fraud from the front end," Jones said. "With this system, they will either be caught or deterred from applying in the first place."

With the system in place, adults seeking food stamps or Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits, now known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, will be required to leave a digital imprint of their index fingers. Their photos also will be taken.

By leaving fingerprints, applicants will not be able to apply for state assistance in a different cities using fake identification or false information, Jones said.

But the imaging system has been criticized by watchdog groups. They say it will deter people from applying for assistance to which they are entitled because of fear that fingerprints may be used to check for outstanding warrants.

"It is a waste of time and a waste of money," said Jay Jacobson, executive director of the Texas American Civil Liberties Union. "We're treating everyone like criminals. It's demeaning."

Sandi Schnall, DHS finger-imaging project manager in San Antonio, said applicants are informed that their fingerprints can't be used for anything other than investigating potential welfare fraud.

California already has a fingerprint imaging system.

In Los Angeles County, the system is credited with saving $5.4 million within the first six months by terminating more than 3,000 illegitimate cases.

Texas officials eventually want to integrate the fingerprinting system with the debit-card-like Lone Star Card, which already has replaced paper food stamps, Jones said. Instead of using personal identification numbers to activate the cards, recipients would use their fingerprint, he said.