Prisoners wrongly received stimulus checks

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. government mistakenly sent 1,700 inmates stimulus checks totaling $425,000, the Social Security Administration said Tuesday.

Fox News reported Social Security spokesman Dan Moraski told the broadcaster in a written statement the checks were sent out because official records "did not accurately reflect that they were in prison." Most of the inmate payments have been returned by correctional institutions, he said, though he wouldn't disclose how much.

Fox said the SSA inspector general's office is looking at the error as part of a broader audit of stimulus spending.

The Social Security Administration conceded the error involving 1,700 prisoners after a report that nearly two dozen Massachusetts inmates had mistakenly received the $250 checks.

The Massachusetts report evoked complaints from Republicans critical of the $787 billion stimulus program and the way it has been administered, Fox said, even before the wider problem was discovered.

Some inmates were legally eligible for the $250 stimulus checks because under the law the checks were to be sent to those receiving benefits from Social Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Railroad Retirement board between last November and January, Fox said. Those not incarcerated between those dates legally received stimulus checks.

Moraski told Fox a total of 3,900 inmates not receiving benefits were sent a check, but 2,200 were due the payment because they were out of prison late last year. The other 1,700 were mistakenly sent checks.

The spokesman said the number sent in error was "relatively small" -- 52 million total payments were made -- and that most of the erroneous payments have been returned by penal institutions.