Finding Text
2024-001 Financial Eligibility
Legal Services Corporation ALN#09.233100
Criteria: Per LSC § 1611.4 (a) Financial Eligibility, a recipient may provide legal assistance supported with LSC funds only to individuals whom the recipient has determined to be financially eligible for such assistance. Nothing in this part, however, prohibits a recipient from providing legal assistance to an individual without regard to that individual's income and assets if the legal assistance is wholly supported by funds from a source other than LSC, and is otherwise permissible under applicable law and regulation.
Condition: During the LSC case file testing, we identified two instances, where the program clients were not financially eligible for the LSC program but were reported as LSC eligible.
Cause: Certain Legal Service NYC employees mistakenly classified the program clients who were not LSC financial eligible as LSC financial eligible in the case system.
Effect: Incorrect financial eligibility documentation may lead to the improper inclusion or exclusion of clients from receiving services under the LSC program.
Questioned costs: There are no questioned costs noted.
Context: Out of 60 cases selected for testing, two (2) cases were erroneously reported as LSC eligible.
Recommendation: We recommend that Legal Services NYC continue to provide relevant training to employees involved in client intake regarding financial eligibility.
Views of responsible officials: See corrective action plan.