Finding 1222666 (2025-004)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
AB
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-07-01
Audit: 406238
Auditor: WEGNER CPAS

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Internal controls for reviewing and approving costs charged to Federal awards are not documented for 14 out of 60 disbursements.
  • Impacted Requirements: This violates 2 CFR 200.303, which mandates effective internal controls to ensure compliance with Federal regulations.
  • Recommended Follow-up: UCM should formalize and document control procedures for Federal award expenditures to prevent unallowable costs and improve compliance.

Finding Text

Finding 2025-004 Assistance Listing Number(s): 93.558 Name of Federal Program or Cluster: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Name of Federal Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Name of Pass-through Entity: Virginia Department of Social Services Pass-through Entity Identifying Number: BEN-21-029 Award Period: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 Criteria or Specific Requirement: Per 2 CFR 200.303 Internal controls, non-Federal entities must establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal awards to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the award. Condition: For 14 of 60 disbursements tested, internal controls over the review and approval of costs charged to the Federal award were not documented. Cause: The entity does not have formalized or consistently documented control procedures over disbursements charged to Federal awards. Effect or Potential Effect: Lack of documented controls increases the risk that unallowable or unsupported costs may be charged to Federal awards without detection. Repeat Finding: This finding is a repeat of 2024-002 representing the continued internal control deficiency. Recommendation: UCM should formalize and document internal control procedures over Federal award expenditures, including documented review and approval processes to ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance. Views of Responsible Officials: Management acknowledges the finding and will work to implement appropriate corrective actions to address the deficiency and improve compliance going forward.

Corrective Action Plan

2025-004 Auditor’s Recommendation: UCM should formalize and document internal control procedures over Federal award expenditures, including documented review and approval processes to ensure compliance with Uniform Guidance. Corrective Action: UCM will formalize and document internal control procedures over Federal award expenditures to ensure costs charged to Federal awards are allowable, allocable, reasonable, properly approved, and adequately supported in accordance with Uniform Guidance. Written procedures will be developed for expenditure review and approval, including documentation of business purpose, budget availability, cost eligibility under the award terms, proper account coding, funding source, supporting documentation, and evidence of approval. UCM will also strengthen controls over direct assistance to client expenditures by requiring documentation of client eligibility, assistance type, amount approved, funding source, program approval, finance review, and evidence of payment. Direct assistance expenditures will be reviewed to ensure they are allowable under the Federal award, consistent with program requirements, properly coded, and adequately supported before payment or reimbursement is processed. UCM will also implement a Federal award expenditure checklist or similar review tool to document review before expenditures are paid, posted, or reported. The checklist will include review of allowability, allocability, reasonableness, budget availability, funding source, supporting documentation, approval, and compliance with applicable Federal award requirements. For direct assistance to clients, the checklist will also confirm client eligibility, approved assistance type, required case documentation, and evidence of payment. Staff responsible for Federal award expenditures, direct client assistance, grant accounting, accounts payable, and program budget management will receive training on the updated procedures and Uniform Guidance requirements. Supporting documentation and evidence of review and approval will be retained with the expenditure records. Responsible for Corrective Action: Shruti Jha, Senior Director of Finance Gina Macanlalay, Director of Family Achievement Program Laura D’Ambrogi, Grants Manager Anticipated Completion Date: December 31, 2026

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Internal Control / Segregation of Duties Subrecipient Monitoring Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1222665 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222667 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222668 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222669 2025-007
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1222670 2025-008
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.558 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES $1.18M
97.010 CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND TRAINING $70,869