Social Security News: Social Security Audits A Claimant

Feb 21, 2008

Social Security Audits A Claimant

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas my wife and I received a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA). It was not a "happy holidays" wish.

The first paragraph of the letter stated, "Each month, the Social Security Administration asks a few people who file an application for Social Security benefits to help us make sure that we handled their claims properly. Your claim was chosen this month for one of these reviews. It was chosen entirely by chance, NOT because we have any special question about you or your benefits." ...

The social insurance specialist who sent the letter - I'll call her Alice, since she survives within a governmental wonderland - directed us to review all enclosed information and mail her the originals of our birth certificates and marriage license. ...

Alice suggested we call a toll-free number she provided if we had any question. Disbelief and concern for legality spurred me to call. I connected with the Social Security Administration, Office of Quality Assurance and Performance Assessment in Kansas City. Alice worked there. The letter was legit.

I said to my wife, "It's fact! We're being audited by Social Security. Can you believe this?"

She replied, "No! It's bizarre." ...

On the appointed date and at the exact time, Alice called. She was acutely courteous. She explained that both our claims were being reviewed under what's called a stewardship review within the Retirement, Survivor, Disability Insurance Quality Review program. ...

When Alice finished her questioning, I boldly asked, "How many Social Security recipients receive these audits each year?"

She answered, "In fiscal year 2006, 1,440 cases were selected nationally."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: They are confused, which makes for good press, but is not accurate. In fact, SSA is auditing itself, to make sure that no mistakes were made in the processing of the selected cases. It would be shocking to find out how many claims, even presumably simple retirement claims, are screwed up each year with no one being the wiser, due to cutting corners to meet statistical goals, or poorly trained staff, or overwhelmed cr's who have to get rid of an interview to go on to the next one, or even, on occasion, actual incompetence. Not that anything would be done anyway--still no staff to handle the workload correctly.; 8:53 AM, February 21, 2008
Anonymous said...: It is also an integrity review to be sure that the documents cited by the adjudicator do, in fact, exist and support the information recorded in the case. This is to prevent employee fraud as well as to catch human errors and short cutting of documentation requirements.; 11:44 AM, February 21, 2008