Reports

Social Security Administration OIG

Controls over the Social Security Administration’s National 800-number Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration had and used management controls over the service its 800 number employees provided callers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/29/2023

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Ineffective Controls Over COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Leave the Program Susceptible to Waste and Abuse

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not always implement effective internal controls to provide oversight of COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. FEMA’s funeral assistance program greatly expanded the universe of reimbursable expenses for deaths related to COVID-19, even beyond those specifically identified as ineligible under established FEMA policy, without establishing guardrails to ensure relief was limited to necessary expenses and serious needs as required by statute.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/24/2023

1 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator resolve questioned costs totaling an estimated $24,438,662 for expenses deemed ineligible by FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide and determine the amount of any debts owed by recipients for erroneous payments.

2 - Closed

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator resolve other questioned costs included in our report and determine the amount of any debts owed by recipients for erroneous payments. Other questioned costs requiring resolution include: a) $1,348,546 for awards issued to multiple applicants for the same decedents; b) $554,653 for awards issued for applications that exceeded the $9,000 per decedent award limit; and c) $591,805 for 93 applications for which FEMA did not adequately review eligibility criteria of the applications.

3 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator ensure that future iterations of the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide and supporting procedures (a) provide consistent guidance on eligibility of funeral expenses for all future disaster declarations; and (b) allow for reimbursement of only necessary expenses and serious needs, consistent with the law.

4 - Closed

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator strengthen and monitor improvement of FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance training practices with particular focus on: a) distinguishing legitimate sources of potential duplication such as decedent’s name and social security number from potential duplications that arise due to FEMA using a repurposed Individual Assistance processing system, with a data field such as damaged dwelling address; b) preventing FEMA from reimbursing expenses exceeding the maximum $9,000 per decedent; and c) deducting financial assistance received from outside sources such as pre-need funeral arrangements, burial insurance, and assistance from other voluntary or government agencies.

5 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator ensure that FEMA provides its COVID-19 Funeral Assistance call center contractor the guidance and training necessary to meet the quality control and production monitoring metrics as prescribed by its agreement with the contractor.

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 8/09/2023

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of Navajo Nation Tribal Government's Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds (Redacted)

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 8/08/2023

1-1 - Open

Treasury OIG should follow-up on Navajo Nation management's corrective action related to $141,187 in questioned costs reported in Single Audit finding number 2020-009.

1-2 - Open

Treasury OIG should follow-up to obtain the status of the Navajo Nation's 2021 Single Audit.

2-1 - Open

3-1 - Open

4-1 - Open

5-1 - Open

Treasury OIG should follow-up with Navajo Nation management to obtain missing documentation to support expenditures and that Navajo Nation has made necessary reporting corrections; and determine the feasibility of performing a focused audit for Aggregate Payments to individuals with a specific focus on Navajo Nation's non-payroll COVID-19 hardship claims and payroll expenditures for employees substantially dedicated to COVID-19 recovery efforts.

6-1 - Open

Treasury OIG should confirm that Navajo Nation management has reversed $(Amount Redacted) in duplicate hardship check payments that were fraudulently cashed by tribal citizens and recorded by management within the Aggregate Payments to Individuals payment type in the Cycle 3 GrantSolutions submission.

7-1 - Open

Treasury OIG should ensure Navajo Nation management re-issued $(Amount Redacted) in stale-dated checks before the end of December 31, 2022 and ensure that checks were cashed by the beneficiaries, or funds are returned to Treasury.

9-1 - Open

Treasury OIG should ensure Navajo Nation management has reversed the $(Amount Redacted) in sub-recipient incurred costs that they determined to be ineligible as a result of their internal investigation.

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 8/08/2023

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 8/08/2023

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of Native Village of Point Hope’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 7/28/2023

Department of Labor OIG

ETA Did Not Provide Adequate Oversight of Emergency Administrative Grants

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/27/2023

Department of the Treasury OIG

Desk Review of State of Ohio’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Other | 7/27/2023

Small Business Administration OIG

SBA’s Awards for Staffing Support for COVID-19 Economic Relief Loan Programs

We reviewed the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) blanket purchase agreement with Highlight Technologies, LLC for loan support services.To meet the increased demand for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) loan program support services, SBA issued labor hour contracts, e.g. call orders, using an existing blanket purchase agreement. However, SBA contracting officials did not always perform adequate price analyses, awarding contracts that were not the best use of taxpayer funds. SBA did not establish adequate guidance to ensure contracting officials consistently followed federal...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Inspection / Evaluation | 7/26/2023

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Any Recommendations

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Reports

Controls over the Social Security Administration’s National 800-number Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ineffective Controls Over COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Leave the Program Susceptible to Waste and Abuse

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Desk Review of Navajo Nation Tribal Government's Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds (Redacted)

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Desk Review of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

Desk Review of Native Village of Point Hope’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

ETA Did Not Provide Adequate Oversight of Emergency Administrative Grants

Desk Review of State of Ohio’s Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds

SBA’s Awards for Staffing Support for COVID-19 Economic Relief Loan Programs

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