The provincial government isn’t the only one on the hook for large costs from a new welfare and disability payment system.
The Social Assistance Management System, or SAMS, was launched in November 2014.
Within weeks, it began taking steps toward processing $20 million in overpayments. A total of $382,000 in overpayments was actually paid out to recipients.
The auditor general has also flagged a number of potential errors in benefit calculations from the system, which total $35 million.
Fixing the issues with the system cost the province an additional $52 million, on top of the $240 million it spent designing and procuring SAMS.
There were also costs to local levels of government, which play a role in distributing welfare and disability payments.
In Waterloo Region, those costs added up to more than $1 million – with the province reimbursing the region for about $280,000 of that amount.
Douglas Bartholomew-Saunders, the region’s commissioner of community service, says the region will not be seeking further reimbursement from the province.
“We are working closely in partnership with the province to ensure the successful implementation of SAMS,” he said in a statement.
“Since the implementation of SAMS, the province has demonstrated consistent willingness to listen to and engage with municipal partners to problem solve and meet our program delivery needs.”
Local costs for SAMS mainly revolved around training and extra staffing, Bartholomew-Saunders said.
