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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    What is the Field Investigation Program?

    The mission of the Field Investigation Program is to detect and prevent public benefits fraud by conducting investigations on applicants and recipients of public benefits to ensure the integrity of DHS benefit programs.

    How does this occur?

    Investigations in the Field Investigation Program can be initiated by DHS, the citizens of Pennsylvania, or through BFPP's own processes. These referrals identify an applicant or recipient of public benefits who are suspected of providing inaccurate, inconsistent, or incomplete information to DHS.  Persons receiving public benefits must disclose true and correct information regarding income, resources, residence, and household composition to DHS in order to accurately determine eligibility for public benefits.  Individuals who apply for or who are receiving public benefits are informed by DHS that the OSIG can investigate their circumstances to ensure correctness.  

    The purpose of the field investigations performed by BFPP is to correctly determine the circumstances of the individual applying for or receiving public benefits.  Once the investigation is completed, BFPP will provide the results to the DHS caseworker, who then uses the information provided to determine the individual's eligibility for DHS benefit programs.  The caseworker determines whether to authorize the individual for benefits, reduce the amount of benefits the individual is eligible for, or deny benefits to the individual.

    Why is this important to the citizens of Pennsylvania

    BFPP's Field Investigation Program is a system of checks and balances that helps ensure the integrity of public benefits programs in Pennsylvania.  Its efforts yield millions of dollars in cost savings annually to DHS and the citizens of Pennsylvania.