Financial Assistance Launch Anonymous Hotline
In an effort to curtail the misuse of Government’s subsidized financial support, the Department of Financial Assistance has established an Anonymous Hotline to report misuse, abuse or fraud.
The Anonymous Hotline is 297-STOP [7867]. The Department is asking for public support by reporting Financial Assistance clients who may be misusing or abusing the system. All calls and messages will be investigated by the Department’s Investigative Officers.
Minister of Community, Culture and Sports Wayne Scott stated, “Staff at the Department of Financial Assistance is consistently being questioned by members of the public who know or suspect clients of abusing our support and services.
“With so many people in genuine need of Financial Assistance, we must be prudent with the management of Financial Assistance budget. We are committed to stopping people from feeling they can get away with fraud.
“Clients and the Department have an equal share in making sure that those who need receive the support and those who are misusing the system are caught.”
Minister Scott added, “As I announced last month, we have seen an unprecedented increase in financial assistance and child day care relief such that, between January and October 2013, this Government spent in excess of $36 million on assistance.
“We will continue to address these concerns by implementing procedures and policies to maintain the integrity of the Department.”
The Ministry said the Hotline is managed by an Automated Message Centre, so the caller is strictly anonymous. Calls can be accepted seven days a week and operates continuously.
“The Department wishes to thank persons, in advance, who furnish information and reiterates that confidentiality is appreciated and respected,” a spokesperson said.
Call 297-7867 to report Financial Assistance misuse, abuse, or fraud.
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Crime Stoppers: FA.
That’s FA for Financial Assistance.
All you people that are getting financial assistance checks and flying away to a shop in NYC, are getting your free ride CUT!
I see this ending badly. There could be persons calling in being honest about the fraudulent activity or there could be persons calling in with only malicious intent. I hope that the FA office is staffed with sufficient investigative staff that can substantiate the basis of each call.
Goog Luck Gov!
That’s definitely a risk but then again there is a cost to doing nothing as well.
I would rather take the risk and weed out the fraudsters.
The fraudsters are taking out of the mouths of those that truly need support.
The fraudsters are stealing your tax dollars
This isn’t a joking matter.
When exposed, they need to be named and shamed!!!!!!
It’s about time, this is long overdue.
the OBA has constantly said that thousands of bermudians have lost jobs…one would think that if thousands have lost jobs, and there are no replacement jobs out there…that these folks would then require assistance from Government. Then consequently it would seemingly be fair that the funds paid out by Financial Assistance would increase.
http://www.bermudajobboard.bm/jobresults.asp?keywords=&category=0&careerlevel=0&jobtype=0&jobstatus=0&Submit=Search+All
There are a fair number there. Took me 20 seconds to find that….search the net, the newspapers, the job agencies…..
There is definately frictional unemployment as just proven. There is structural unumployment with folks needing to retrain, for example, out of construction to take advantage of the available opportunities. A tiny minority of folks get to do exactly what they love or exactly want for a job, the more arrows you have, the better chance of hitting a target. Sometimes the career change turns out to be a positive life changer.
Yes and have you seen some of these salaries?
Baker/Pastry Chef
Permanent, full time
Salary Range: less than $10,000
Chef de Parties
Permanent, full time
Salary Range: $20,000 – $30,000
Can y’all live on less than $10,000 p/a? Pay rent, buy groceries? What is Bermuda’s minimal wage these days?
McDonald’s pays more than 10,000 p/a.
Replacement jobs ????? That phrase makes no sense. Why would you replace a job with the same job.
There are jobs out there. A quick look at the below shows that….
http://www.bermudajobboard.bm/jobresults.asp?keywords=&category=0&careerlevel=0&jobtype=0&jobstatus=0&Submit=Search+All
we are sorry,the number you have dialed is constantly ENGAGED
Does this hotline also want to know about any Bermudians falsely claiming benefits in the UK too or just here?
Feel free to let the UK Gov know about that…
Good luck OBA!
Again OBA is getting others to do thier jobs.
SAGE Commission, Tourism Authority and now this.
They need to crack down on the illegal workers here.
OBA should step down
Huh? What garbage are you talking? The OBA is getting people do what they are hired to do.
Then call the immigration hotline with information, so they can do their job !!!!!!!!!
Legally, if you are accused of a crime, then you should have the right to face your accuser and answer those charges. The accuser should be prepared to back up such allegations with proof. If a person is being charged with taking funds from Government without need, or misusing those funds, then personally, I view that as theft.
It seems scary to me that an anonymous caller, potentially someone with malicious intent, or maybe just a busybody, can have the right to call in and report what they think is a misuse of financial assistance funds when that person may not even know the truth. Will this anonymous caller be required to produce any evidence? How could they give evidence and still remain anonymous? What is worrisome is that the Minister does not even state what safeguards are in place to ensure that innocent people on F.A. are not unduly victimized.
Yes, we do need to be prudent with F.A. funds, but I have my doubts as to whether this is a step in the right direction. If the F.A. staff were doing their jobs in the first place, there should be no question of people getting in the program who don’t need it.
Do you have the same views on the immigration hotline?
Peoples circumstances change, but they still claim, people lie on forms and in interviews to buck the system. Would you subject people to lie detector tests? This hotline is a good thing.
When an individual is brazen enough to shop at an up scale Pitts Bay Supermarket, looking bling with stick-on nails and then brag about being on Social Assistance, I would say it’s time to make the call!
I agree with the initiative but what happen to the compliance officers, I think that there are those who have and are abusing the system, but I also likewise think that financial assistance is a real joke.
when you compare the cost of living in Bermuda and the criteria for receiving assistance, they are out dated and does not suit today’s needs. financial assistance is still operating under the old system, where there were jobs available that most of their clients can apply for, but now they expect these folk to look for jobs in a jobless market.
They want you to walk around town receiving up to 20 signature per week, to prove that you are looking for work in a jobless market.my suggestion is that the minister of that department that covers financial assistance,should be working along side of the immigration minister. so that we can put Bermudians back to work in the work place in jobs Bermudians can do.
So Duane, what are the jobs you refer to that Bermudians can do?
Retrain and do the jobs that exist. I have a feeling you are selling us short.
If I’m trained as a NASA Engineer (from NASA facility days), then I don’t sit around waiting for a NASA engineering role to come up in Bermuda, I go and work in the industries that exist and retrain with new qualifications whilst doing so.
Portia probaly one on f a
give me money ill go marketplace get u what u want
i cant get beers or ciggarets dam coupons
and de list goes on
I’m sure there are many people on financial assistance, particularly females who insist on still living the good life as if they aren’t abusing the system. There are many mothers who are being assisted that still insist on getting their hair, nails and feet done as well as those who still party and shop wasting the money of the taxpayers. What’s sad is that there are still a lot of families who require financial assistance. As an educator with good income, I still find myself simply just getting by for the month. At times I have to think twice on my purchases when deciding whether an item is needed or not. I also have to limit myself and allocate my money for the month. If a person on financial assistance is still able to live lavishly while a working class citizen with no children, no debt and a good job can not, then it is evident they are abusing the system! Do better people!
Totally agree with you!! It has always been a well known fact that most people on US unemployment system, always seem to by some miracle find a job on average two weeks before their benefits ran out?? I am speaking about the years leading up to 2007, I lived in the US for over ten years and know this to be a fact!!! It just sickens me that people behave this way! I would rather starve before I took one penny from Government, but I acknowledge I am in the minority!!!
I couldnt agree more! Someone I know just brought a damn car and they’re on financial assistance. I can’t afford a car and I make too much money for financial assistance.
Here you go make the Call 297-7867
I thought once u was on FA u wasn’t allowed to own a car, well Bermy Female, call the hot line if you have your facts right ie: is the car you see this person driving in fact theirs and registered in their name? Make sure first now and have your facts straight!
I cannot get financial assistance because I make $2000 more than the limit. I havent been away since 2008, I have never gotten my nails done and when I get my hair done its like twice a year from gift certificates. I haven’t brought new clothes and shoes. List goes on… couple people I know have the best clothes,hair done every week, always going away and I’m like how is this possible?! Their on financial assistance. Smh
The anonymous hotline may be a necessary evil.
A couple of questions.
How does anyone know who is on financial assistance?
If a complaint is made, does financial assistance stop until the complaint is investigated or does it continue until the person is proven guilty?
What happens to the caller if they make false allegations
What is the reality of investigating all of the claims if say 25 calls are received… or 50…or 100?
How is the estimate for financial assistance developed?
Is the expenditure over budget and will require a supplementary request for more money from government?
I’ll bet Betty and all of the pro PLP people that post here know a whole bunch of abusers. I’ll also bet they won’t be calling the hotline. They will “stand strong”.
No, they are ‘entitled’.
The common weakness in F.A. are Mothers who claim to be single parents, but actually have a partner living, working and supporting the household. So the trips, cars and luxuries all come from the partner’s income which is not recorded with F.A. We don’t even have common law marriage in Bermuda… but there will always be cheaters and therefore a need for hotlines and other mechanisms to catch them.
I see nothing wrong with the hotline but i do find Minister Scott’s statement to be offensive and insulting, in assuming that the increase in financial assistance costs are due to fraud and abuse. While there may in fact be incidences of abuse and fraud,i doubt they are the majority.
what if some one has bad intent and call up on someone who is on FA,are they (FA) just gonna cut the person Off,is there going to be a proper and FAIR investigation, Really what should happen is the Case Workers should do there Job better, Home Visits would help to stamp out alot of
the problems,but i believe the Case Workers are a Big Part of the Problem, Bermuda is a Small Place and if people can just call up Random I think there are gonna be more problems created, its easy for some one who is not on FA just say a person who looks well groomed they must be scamming the system, is one expected to look like rags to prove they are not scamming, I am not convinced that this has been thought all the way throu, how do we help those who are receiving FA, getting help to get off of FA. Give a man a fish he will eat for a day but teach him how to fish and he can support him self. I believe there are more peolpe who would like to get off of the FA, but dont have the know how to. Maybe the whole FA Programe needs to be ReVamped.
Every state is different. The best systems have an automatic cut off time. You get for X number of months then you are cut off. Maybe you have to provide real proof that you have attempted to get a job or show real proof why you cannot work.
If you are overweight or have health issues because of smoking you really don’t deserve any public support. If you have a record of poor working attitude & performance you do not deserve public support.
There are those who have truly fallen on hard times. They may even have an old banger of a car but they are still trying to get by on their own. These folks deserve public support.
Bermuda needs to get rid of the thousands of foreign workers who are here in restaurants, as nannies and caregivers and working in shops then the Bermudians will have jobs and will not need financial assistance. If Bermudians are not willing to take these lowly jobs then they should not get help.