Welfare doesn’t check if you’re really you, and fraudsters have noticed

How many times a day do you have to prove that you’re you? Between authenticator apps, six-digit codes, password resets, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, it certainly adds up.

So why is identity verification not a required step for trillions of dollars in government welfare spending?

Congress, federal agencies and states should immediately require identity verification for all welfare applicants — a commonsense fraud-prevention measure that could save taxpayers nearly $30 billion over the next 10 years. 

Identity verification for welfare is, frankly, long overdue. And American taxpayers are way past the honor system when it comes to fraud.  

In the rush of government spending during the COVID pandemic, scammers and thieves stole an unconscionable $400 billion. Today, at least 10 cents out of every dollar in food stamps reportedly goes to waste and fraud, and it’s more than 20 cents on the dollar in Medicaid. Over the next decade, Medicaid fraud alone could cost taxpayers more than $2 trillion. 

Despite that, federal regulations do not require states to verify the identity of Medicaid applicants except in narrow circumstances related to citizenship.

The Trump administration deserves immense credit for finally taking steps to address fraud and corruption, from criminal crackdowns, to an official White House task force, to actual funding consequences for fraud-friendly states like Minnesota and California.

This has been a welcome departure from the Biden years, when the federal government actually encouraged........

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