Finding Text
2023 – 006 Cash Management
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Program Name: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Assistance Listing Number: 93.568
Federal Award Identification Number and Year: G-2202ILLIEA 10/1/2021; G-2202ILLIEA 10/1/2021; G-2302ILLIEA 10/1/2022; 2102ILLWCS 5/28/2021
Pass-Through Agency: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Pass-Through Numbers: 22-221038; 22-224038; 23-224038; 21-233038
Award Period: June 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023, October 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023, October 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024, and September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2023
Type of Finding:
• Material Weakness in Internal Control over Compliance
• Material Noncompliance (Modified Opinion)
Criteria or specific requirement: Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200.303) requires non-federal entities receiving Federal awards establish and maintain internal controls designed to reasonably ensure compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and program compliance requirements. Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200.305(b)) requires non-federal entities to minimize the time between drawing and disbursing of federal funds. Effective internal controls should include ensuring the reimbursement request are supported by documentation of expenditures that been incurred. Additionally, the time between receiving and disbursing federal funds should be minimized and interest should be calculated on amounts of unearned revenue.
Condition: Supporting documentation for the cash drawdown requests were not maintained. There were instances in which the accounting records did not agree to the grant reimbursement request. The time between receiving and disbursing federal funds was not minimized and interest on unearned revenue was not calculated. Documentation of review and approval of the reimbursement request by an individual other than the preparer was not retained.
Questioned costs: $1,237,948
Context: 8 of 8 cash reimbursement requests tested did not have supporting documentation of the exact amount received maintained.
Cause: Support for the reimbursement request could not be provided over the individual cash request as it was not retained. Adjustments made to the project accounting records after the cash reimbursement request were made caused the County to receive more funds than expenses incurred on specific grants.
Effect: Lack of proper documentation for reported information can lead to an over or under reimbursement of grant funds.
Repeat Finding: This is a repeat finding. Prior year finding number was 2022-006.
Recommendation: We recommend the County design controls to ensure the accounting records reconcile to the reimbursement request and documentation be retained. Reconciliations should be reviewed and approved by an individual other than the preparer at the time of the request and this documentation should be retained.
Views of responsible officials: There is no disagreement with the audit finding.