Untangling the stigma of welfare

The biggest debate over welfare in Maine is fueled by the notion that a majority of the state’s taxpayers wind up paying for the struggles of a few. Barbara Van Burgel, director of the Office of Integrated Access and Support, which oversees many of the state’s assistance programs, has 25 years of experience in social services and said that’s simply not true.

Judd Esty-Kendall, the northern regional managing attorney for Pine Tree Legal Assistance which provides advice and counsel for low-income Mainers, agreed.

“I think there is a fair amount of ignorance,” Esty-Kendall said, pointing out that famed Maine author Stephen King once benefited from welfare assistance. “If people haven’t had any contact with the welfare system, they don’t know about it, so they tend to respond to concepts that feed into the stereotypes they already have.”

Welfare and its recipients have long endured stereotyping by society at large, and some of it perhaps is warranted.

“The reality is that some people are going to take advantage of the system, but that can happen with anything, even our income taxes,” Van Burgel said. “But all of our programs show an extremely low fraud rate.”

Based on statistics from the state DHHS, Maine’s fraud rate for TANF recipients is about one-fifth of 1 percent, well below the national average of 4 percent.Still, fraud happens.

In May, a South Portland man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to theft of government property, namely $4,700 in federal housing subsidies.

In recent years, measures have been implemented to reduce fraud cases, such as the use of debit cards or vouchers as opposed to checks that can be cashed.

At the local level, Tina Howes said every expense must be documented and every source of income accounted for, and Ellsworth’s general assistance gatekeeper is diligent.

“I do my homework,” the deputy city clerk said. “We use background checks. We consult with other towns. I call employers, landlords. It keeps me busy that’s for sure.”

There also are guidelines in place for cases to be reviewed monthly. If clients are not looking for jobs or pursuing education, their benefits are in jeopardy.

The diligence extends to the state level, too.

“Also, one thing I think people don’t understand – and we don’t make it public – is that we share our information among federal agencies,” Van Burgel said. “If there is an intentional violation, and it doesn’t happen often, we usually find out and it usually means people are disqualified from future assistance.”

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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