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reported for all persons living in your food stamp household.. . . Failure to report changes will be considered to be willful intent to withhold information effecting eligibility.”
Moffett acknowledged that welfare departments in neighboring counties frequently decide not to pursue food stamp fraud because of the time involved in bringing a case to court. But she believes that the effort brings positive results. “It’s a deterrant. It backs up what the forms warn: they can be prosecuted.
“I feel very strongly that persons committing welfare fraud need to be caught and prosecuted in order to protect the integrity of the system,” Moffett continued. “It’s not fair to the taxpayers for a person to receive benefits they’re not entitled to. It’s not fair to the other clients who are honestly reporting their circumstances, who are doing it the right way and getting less.”
“I’m careful to take people to court only when I believe they are absolutely guilty. Where there’s any question in my mind, I simply don’t take them,” she added.
This year, Moffett’s caseload has dropped dramatically. She attributes this partially to an improved local economy that has left well over half of her clients in the aged and disabled category as opposed to the ranks of the unemployed.
But she also believes that publicity given to fraud prosecution has helped decrease the caseload. “Our clients are being more careful about reporting changes in their circumstances. People are calling me and saying, ‘Hey, I got a job and I don’t need food stamps anymore.’ We’ve had more of that this year than any other time,” she concluded.
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