(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, the secretary may, in accordance with the regulations he may prescribe and to the extent permitted by federal law, take all necessary steps to correct any underpayment or overpayment of public assistance benefits under this chapter.
(2) Recovery of overpayments by the secretary may be accomplished through repayment, reduction of future public assistance benefits, or by civil action in the Circuit or District Court depending upon the jurisdictional amount involved.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 205.211

  • Action: includes all proceedings in any court of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Federal: refers to the United States. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Public assistance: means money grants, assistance in kind, or services to or for the benefit of needy aged, needy blind, needy permanently and totally disabled persons, needy children, or persons with whom a needy child lives or a family containing a combination of these categories, except that the term shall not be construed to permit the granting of financial aid where the purpose of such aid is to obtain an abortion. See Kentucky Statutes 205.010
  • Secretary: means the secretary for health and family services or his authorized representative. See Kentucky Statutes 205.010
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

(3) No reduction in future benefits or civil action shall be instituted except after notice and an opportunity for a fair hearing have been given and the administrative and judicial remedies provided by this chapter have been either exhausted or abandoned.
(4) For purposes of this section, overpayment shall include payments made to or in behalf of an eligible person in excess of the amount of public assistance benefits to which they are entitled as defined by regulation, payments made to ineligible persons and payments made to persons pending a fair hearing decision or court decision.
(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit criminal prosecution for fraud under any other statute.
Effective: March 26, 1982
History: Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 149, sec. 1, effective March 26, 1982.