“We take seriously the abuse of [general assistance],” City Manager Cathy Conlow said. “We see to it that those who are caught defrauding the system see consequences.”

In 2012, Bangor administered general assistance to 1,608 qualifying individuals, who received about $2.8 million, mostly in housing assistance. That year, the city expelled 192 of those people for 120 days after finding they violated program rules, according to Shawn Yardley, Bangor’s director of health and community services. Officials said about five of those people went on to face criminal charges.

On Tuesday, Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald announced an enforcement effort that tossed 84 of the city’s 225 welfare recipients from the system, including 50 for alleged fraud. The city’s police chief said 12 of those people could face charges.

Lewiston promises more rounds of sanctions in the future.

General assistance is an emergency aid program administered by municipalities, funded in part by the state, that is being used by an increasing number of people struggling with finances or waiting to receive federal subsidies. About 80 percent of people who apply for the program in Bangor are approved to receive benefits, according to Yardley.

Bangor drops people from the payroll on a weekly basis after finding they’re no longer eligible for assistance or that they’ve lied to the city about aspects of their finances or lives that determine eligibility, according to Yardley.

The violations range from failure to report new sources of income or expenses to harboring an unreported roommate.

“Our philosophy is that we need to run an efficient, effective and accountable program to ensure that we’re spending the taxpayers’ dollars well,” Yardley said, adding that those efforts ensure as much help as possible is available for individuals and families that desperately need it.