Federal Programs with a Financial Eligibility Component
GAO-06-292R: Published: Dec 14, 2005. Publicly Released: Dec 14, 2005.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
Contact:
(202) 512-9039
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
Each year, federal benefit programs make billions of dollars of improper payments, in some cases, due to inaccurate personal and financial information provided by applicants. For federal agencies administering those programs, getting reliable personal and financial information is vital for making good decisions about whether an individual or business is eligible for federal benefits. As one of the largest repositories of personal and financial information in the United States, IRS has a number of data-sharing relationships with federal agencies to help verify applicant-provided information. This letter conveys information Congress requested as a part of work we conducted on verifying financial information at federal agencies, including the IRS. As agreed, we (1) compiled a listing of federal benefit programs with a financial eligibility component and (2) described documentation requirements to qualify for these programs.
We found 74 federal benefit programs that met our criteria. The financial obligations for fiscal year 2003 varied by financial assistance type with approximately $16 billion in grants, approximately $158 billion in loans, approximately $62 billion in direct payments, and approximately $3 billion in insurance. More than half of these programs were offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Federal benefit programs varied in the level of documentation required to support financial eligibility. Most required applicants or beneficiaries to provide financial information on an application plus additional supporting documentation. They generally allowed discretion in the type of supporting documentation applicants or beneficiaries could provide such as financial statements, payroll documents, and/or tax documents according to the eligibility requirements reported in the CFDA. One agency, the Small Business Administration (SBA), required applicants to complete an IRS form requesting that tax information be sent directly to the agency in addition to providing other financial documentation. Of the 74 programs with a financial eligibility component, USDA accounted for the most with 38 programs or 51 percent, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offered the second largest number with 9 programs or 12 percent. Fiscal year 2003 obligations for the programs ranged from about $1 million to $69 billion. In addition to completing an application, a majority of programs allowed applicants to provide financial documents and/or information provided at their discretion; some programs required applicants to provide specified documents and/or information; and a few programs required applicants to fill out an IRS form in addition to other documents in some cases.
Feb 13, 2019
-
Internet Privacy:
Additional Federal Authority Could Enhance Consumer Protection and Provide FlexibilityGAO-19-52: Published: Jan 15, 2019. Publicly Released: Feb 13, 2019.
Jan 29, 2019
-
Indian Programs:
Interior Should Address Factors Hindering Tribal Administration of Federal ProgramsGAO-19-87: Published: Jan 3, 2019. Publicly Released: Jan 29, 2019.
Dec 20, 2018
-
Federal Building Security:
Actions Needed to Help Achieve Vision for Secure, Interoperable Physical Access ControlGAO-19-138: Published: Dec 20, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 20, 2018.
Dec 19, 2018
-
Asbestos in GSA Buildings:
Improved Data Would Enhance OversightGAO-19-45R: Published: Nov 19, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2018.
Dec 18, 2018
-
Buy American Act:
Actions Needed to Improve Exception and Waiver Reporting and Selected Agency GuidanceGAO-19-17: Published: Dec 18, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2018.
Dec 10, 2018
-
2020 Census:
Additional Steps Needed to Finalize Readiness for Peak Field OperationsGAO-19-140: Published: Dec 10, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2018.
Dec 4, 2018
-
Fraud Risk Management:
OMB Should Improve Guidelines and Working-Group Efforts to Support Agencies' Implementation of the Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics ActGAO-19-34: Published: Dec 4, 2018. Publicly Released: Dec 4, 2018.
Nov 16, 2018
-
Federal Personal Property:
GSA and VA Have Opportunities to Improve the Exchange Sale ProcessGAO-19-33: Published: Nov 16, 2018. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2018.
Nov 5, 2018
-
Federal Real Property Asset Management:
Agencies Could Benefit from Additional Information on Leading PracticesGAO-19-57: Published: Nov 5, 2018. Publicly Released: Nov 5, 2018.
Oct 25, 2018
-
National Air and Space Museum:
Smithsonian's Efforts to Improve Reliability of Its Revitalization Project's Cost Estimate Are OngoingGAO-19-78: Published: Oct 25, 2018. Publicly Released: Oct 25, 2018.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here