Looking into potential fraud within the $10 billion Children's Supplemental Security Income program. Monday, Congressman [Richard] Neal [D-MA-2] alongside Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue toured Springfield's Social Security office and discussed the issue.
All programs in SSA have fraudulent claims. There are always people who want to get something for nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe details that might surprise the Congressman is just how many parents make their living from their disabled children and just how much more money a welfare family with disabled children has to spend on family bills than a welfare family with no disabled children. And then the parents have the nerve to assert that they are supporting their children.
Until there is a mandate to use child SSI funds to pay for healthcare, there will be rampant fraud.
ReplyDeleteThere is no penalty for bringing a fraudulent claim and the ultimate payoff is quite tempting for many poor families.
Fire all the ALJs! SSA could all be in one big server farm in Baltimore!
ReplyDeletesigned,
the disabled.
The poster at 1:21 PM, February 14, 2012 is not me.
ReplyDeleteThe SSA program,in theory,and in regulatory language,is a very thoughtful program that needs cheaper,and well reasoned individuals adjudicating.
signed,
the disabled.
The poster at 1:23 PM, February 14, 2012 is not me.
ReplyDeleteThe SSA program,in theory,and in regulatory language,is a very thoughtful program that needs cheaper,and well reasoned individuals adjudicating.
signed,
the disabled.
Are you sure we don't need to look at the root of the problem - perhaps the LOCAL FIELD OFFICES where the problems are initiated, rather than beating up the ALJ's who are being held responsible for fixing the mess?????
ReplyDeleteThe problem is with the regulations and the idea that welfare families with disabled children need more cash than welfare families without disabled children and that the SSI money just gets added to the family pot of money and the whole family benefits. If being on SSI meant that a child would get the extra services they need instead of meaning their mom and dad get more money to spend, that would go a long way to solving the problems. The only way the field office can change anything is to be even more involved with the day to day lives of SSI children - case management, dole out the money bit by bit, make the parents beg for funds every month - devote hours and hours to each disabled child case every month. Wait, SSA employees are not social workers nor do they have extra time to do so.
ReplyDeleteAnd how the heck does an ALJ fix the mess now? About all an ALJ can do is approve the finding of disability or waive an overpayment. ALJ's have zero to do with holding parents accountable.
Or maybe anon 11:58 is actually listening to the troll who illogically thinks that ALJ's with a law degree should be replaced by a high school graduate with a few months of DDS training because it will save SSA money so the disabled will get more of it.
Attn: The Disabled, is your disability stuttering or tourettes?
ReplyDelete