Fraud and Incompetence in Social Security
September 25, 2012 at 1:40 pm in News by Dustin Siggins 7 Comments
As grassroots activists know, Social Security is heading towards bankruptcy. What is less known is that the Social Security Disability and Insurance trust fund is going to be bankrupt by 2016 without changes to the program. And according to a new report from the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, part of this may be due to improper payouts in the program. As reported by Fox News:
The Social Security Administration improperly awarded disability benefits in more than 25 percent of cases examined between 2006 and 2010, according to a new Senate report — potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
The findings conclude an 18-month investigation by the chamber’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and show that roughly a quarter of the 300 randomly selected disability cases were awarded benefits “without properly addressing insufficient, contradictory and incomplete evidence.”
That’s not all it found. Again from Fox:
The report also found the agency since January 2009 added 5.9 million Americans to the disability rolls. And in 2011, 10.6 million people were receiving more than $128 billion in disability insurance payments, the report said.
“The question is: Are benefits going only to those who are supposed to be getting to them?” [Senator] Coburn asked Thursday during a Capitol Hill hearing on the issue. “The purpose of this program is to make sure that all Americans have a safety net if they become disabled and can no longer work. It should be remembered though that this law means ‘being unable to work any job in the national economy.’ “
So this is a huge double-whammy for taxpayers. Not only is a disability program not being used to help the disabled in many cases, but this incompetent and broad definition of “disabled” is helping to make the program more bankrupt.
To be fair, Social Security as a whole has a relatively low overhead and improper payment rate. In 2010, for example, a mere .39% of benefits were improperly awarded. Compare this to Medicare, which in 2010 had about 9.5% of payments improperly awarded.
Unfortunately, the federal government continues to fail to uphold the standards it should have in place to protect both the inviolability of taxpayer dollars and its own credibility as a trustworthy organization. Reports like this one show just how weak reform efforts typically are, and are yet another piece in the puzzle that will eventually show Americans across the country that, similar to food stamps, disability programs are often less about disability and more about dependence, especially as they become more complex and further distanced from their original, legal, and honorable intentions.
Have to say is very strong Republic and I was very disturbed by this article in the fact that it was pronounced to me via my Philly Asian of emails fromyou the Tea Party.
I have been fighting for Social Security since 2009. Francis time I have become worse off and now confined to a wheelchair my health is spiraling and there is no obvious wayof that I could work. Yes here I am continuing to fight for what I have paid in 4 and I cannot receive. In the antrum after losing my home my vehicle and barely Bingham to take care of my children I had to get on food stamps. Is not a crutch these requirements in order to fulfill my obligation to not only my children the provide for my family.
If I had other options available to me to heal my sickness to walk again I would need the assistance of the government however I worked since I was 14 years old and I paid into this disability system that you may not be saying that people are deserving of it the to say that we’re becoming dependent upon government help disturbed and disgust me. I was ashamed and mortified when I knew there was no other way to feed my family then to go down to our local women children service office and file for food stamps.
In all of the information about unemployment and job send the lack of this no lack of that no he’s got nothing spoken about the percentage of people like myself that are in dire need I’m not considered unemployed yes I’m also not considered disabled however I am I over 9 doctors. Where’s the percentage of people in my position where is anyone fighting for us instead it’s just articles written about how we become a customs and useda the government to provide for us was very offended by this email.
I have been fighting for SSID since 12-4-2009 and I agree. I have been told by several people. “you are white male under 50 Good luck” I have also been told you have a solid work history you will be turned down at least 4 years to make you desperate enough to go back to work. I have PROVEN nerve damage in my spine causing constant pain. I had worked threw the pain all my life until my body said no more and started creating mussel spasms. I get spinal injections 4-6 times a year (and they are very painful). Threw that time I know of a female Hispanic that received Disability for her and her children for Fibermyalgia. She had no proof and got it.
Warren, I agree. They make it almost impossible. I am a single parent. White, under 50. I had two jobs with extra contract work at times. I worked at a hospital and got sick. Couldn’t get better in spite of treatment. Lost both my jobs. My credit is ruined. I have been unable to work since June of 2011. Couldn’t even drive for over a year. Filed in August of 2011. Diagnosed with Fibro, and some other things that go with it. Was denied twice. They said Fibromyalgia wasn’t a legitimate disability. So, I got a lawyer who will now take at least $3000.00 or 25% – whichever is greater- IF I win in court. Been waiting for court date since Dec of 2011. He says we need more because a lot of judges DON’T EVEN BELIEVE in fibromyalgia. Great!!! From where I’m sitting I see a partnership between SS and Lawyers. I mean, what part of SINGLE PARENT, LOST JOBS, OUT OF MONEY, don’t these people understand??? There is no sense in them taking this long to see someone. I hear of people getting it all the time and I wonder HOW ON EARTH DID THEY DO IT??? And the thought of that lawyer getting THOUSANDS of dollars that I NEED to pay bill collectors and try to fix my messed up credit makes me sick. It’s no wonder this system is so warped.
I have received many requests, via email, to allow a particular law firm to assist me with getting on Social Security Disability. Strange, I’ve been on regular Social Security since 2004. The reason we have seen a huge increase in the disability program is so the federal unemployment percentage stays low. Can you imagine if just 50% of the claims in 2011 would do to the unemployment rate….whoops…Obama.
This is bad but every president for many many decays has stolen from it and put into other general Funds. This is the problem in reality. Reagan took out for Star Wars and he was just one of many presidents to do this for other programs..
Here’s one for ya………. I know a woman that has been in SSD for the past 10 years, never worked in the USA, lives in Mexico. She was an illegal alien who had 2 children in San Diego. Her ex-husband is a friend of mine. They haven’t been together for about 20 years now. She raised them on welfare and when the youngest turned 18 about 8 years ago her welfare was cut. She ended up getting an attorney who got her permanent disability for her having polio when she was 3 years old. The polio does not affect her. My mother had polio between me and my younger brother back in 1955. She was also cured. Anyway, as I said, an illegal alien now living in Tijuana getting around $1500 a month and never paid a dime of taxes in America! Also, there was NO PAPER RECORD
I have done the research. Let’s call a spade a spade. Just look on the Social Security web pages for the number of unemployment checks (Direct Deposit) being sent out every month. In the Great Depression of the 1930s (GD-1), the work force was about 100 million. In the depths of the GD-1, unemployment reached about 23% when all heads were counted (about 23 million). Today, with half again the population of the 1930s, with an eligible work force today of 165 mil, counting all those receiving unemployment benefit checks plus those dropped from the rolls because of giving up looking for work, the official unemployment numbers are being understated at 9.X %. The actual unemployment figure is upward of 24%, (not the 9.8% being touted by a corrupt federal agency, the BLS). 24% of 165 million people equals 39.6 MILLION people (WORK FORCE, not population) unemployed! That’s a huge number of unemployed! Using the official numbers from the S.S. website, it is accurate to state that this is no “recession” we are now in. We are now (2011) experiencing Great Depression #2 (GD-2) — Believe it or not! All politicians ARE LYING LIKE DOGS about the unemployment numbers. Things are much worse than the gov’t or the mainstream media are admitting. Four more years of Obama will sink this once Christian nation. Obama MUST NOT BE ELECTED in November. If he is, it will be the total destruction of our republic. Even Ross Perot came out today (Oct. 1) and said this nation is ripe for a takeover by a foereign power. WE MUST NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. Vote for ANYONE BUT OBAMA. Obama will sink our Ship of State. America will be lost forever!