Substance Abusers On Welfare In El Paso County Face New Rules

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - People who are on welfare in El Paso County and abuse alcohol or drugs need to be ready to get treatment.

Beginning Monday welfare recipients suspected of substance abuse will have to comply with a treatment plan to keep benefits.

People in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program will be screened by an addiction counselor if there's a reasonable suspicion they're not following the rules.

An American Civil Liberties Union representative says the policy amounts to an invasion of privacy.