NEW YORK -- New York City's effort to improve services for seniors may have complicated matters, as some agencies that care for the elderly now worry they don't have enough money to do so.

Fifteen new agencies have been hired by the city to take care of frail, homebound residents, and some of them told New 4 New York that they’re suddenly responsible for hundreds more people than their budgets allow.

Case managers make sure homebound seniors get services such as Meals on Wheels, and help with bathing and shopping when family members can't do it all.

Linda Leest, who runs an agency called Services Now for Adult Persons, said the transition to the new system has been sloppy, leading to some seniors being placed on waiting lists for services.

Leest says her agency was hired to manage 901 senior citizens, but she said another 400 cases were suddenly added to her agency's workload -- and extra money to do that work had not been added to her budget.

"There are hundreds of clients more than we were told was in the contracts," Leest said.

Several other agencies are also complaining off-camera about huge jumps in the number of frail clients in their caseloads because hundreds of elderly cases were initially left off their lists.

They all said they’re wondering if the city's going to pay for what could be millions of unbudgeted dollars at a time when senior programs are being asked for budget cuts.

New York City officials told New 4 New York that there has been no mistake, just a slight 10 percent jump system-wide in cases.

However, a letter News 4 New York obtained from the Department for the Aging said they are investigating a discrepancy in caseloads.

Meanwhile, because the computer systems at some agencies are in transition as well, case managers say they are wasting countless hours doing work by hand when they should be focusing on those in need.

New York City officials stressed that this is a transition period. They said no seniors are suffering and they are suspicious that advocates are exaggerating the problems because they're anxious about many of the changes ahead as the city looks to make senior programs more efficient.