I had no idea this blog was such a hit in the Baltimore area. This blog has always had a hit counter. It is at the bottom of the page. It simply counts the number of visits to this blog. I did not bother with trying to get more information until this past weekend when I signed up with Google Analytics, which will eventually give me an incredible amount of information on visits to this blog. However, it is already telling me something that surprises me. About one-third of the visitors to this blog are located in the Baltimore area. For those who might not be that familiar with the Social Security Administration, Baltimore is where the agency has its headquarters.
May 8, 2007
Fraud Allegations Involve Hundreds In Midwest
There was already a story that several dozen people had been arrested in Michigan for Social Security fraud for cashing a duplicate Social Security check issued after claiming that the first check issued had not arrived as well as cashing the original check. Now, there are reports in the Battle Creek Enquirer, the South Bend, IN Tribune and TV station WOOD indicating that many hundreds have been arrested, perhaps more than a thousand in total, on the same type of charge
I expect that the majority of the defendants knew they were doing something wrong. However, I also expect that quite a number of those charged were just confused. The standard of guilt in criminal cases is beyond a reasonable doubt. I would not want to have to prosecute these cases. These are small time offenses and many of those charged are going to demand a trial and end up being acquitted. The whole thing is unlikely to be worth the effort put into it.
Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has administrative sanctions available as an option for this sort of thing. I think that using that authority would have been a more sensible option for OIG. What has happened looks like OIG is too interested in making a big splash. My guess is that many, perhaps most, of these case will be plea bargained down to administrative sanctions anyway.
I expect that the majority of the defendants knew they were doing something wrong. However, I also expect that quite a number of those charged were just confused. The standard of guilt in criminal cases is beyond a reasonable doubt. I would not want to have to prosecute these cases. These are small time offenses and many of those charged are going to demand a trial and end up being acquitted. The whole thing is unlikely to be worth the effort put into it.
Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has administrative sanctions available as an option for this sort of thing. I think that using that authority would have been a more sensible option for OIG. What has happened looks like OIG is too interested in making a big splash. My guess is that many, perhaps most, of these case will be plea bargained down to administrative sanctions anyway.
SSA Offers Help For Tornado Victims
From the Hutchinson News:
The Social Security Administration is prepared to assist Greensburg tornado victims through its office in Dodge City.
People who were severely injured can file a claim for disability benefits or for supplemental security income benefits. Surviving spouses and minor children of those killed in the tornado can also inquire about benefit programs. ...
Those who normally receive a paper Social Security check in the mail should to contact Social Security to provide a new address or to set up direct deposit, to prevent missing their next check. This can be done by calling the Dodge City office or the national toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213.
Astrue: "I want to fix this thing on my watch"
Excerpts from an Associated Press article:
More than 160 new administrative judges are needed to ease the backlog of hundreds of thousands of disability cases and eliminate yearslong waits to determine who qualifies for benefits, the new head of the U.S. Social Security Administration said.
“I want to fix this thing on my watch,” said Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue, who was sworn in Feb. 12.
Astrue and Republican Sen. George Voinovich held a meeting in Columbus on Monday to explain the problem and Astrue’s proposed solutions. ...
“There’s no one magic bullet,” he said.Monday’s discussion was the second time in recent years that Voinovich brought a Social Security official to Ohio to explain the backlog.
May 7, 2007
New York Daily News On Social Security Backlogs
The New York Daily News is running a story on Social Security hearing backlogs. It is reproduced above, but, probably, you will be unable to read it. It is a fairly generic article on the subject.
Early Out For Social Security Employees
Local 3509 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has posted an agreement between the AFGE and Social Security for early out retirement for Social Security employees this year. Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are exempt from the early out offer. Eligible employees have until June 8 to take advantage of the offer.
Disabled Adult Child Claims Being Missed
Individuals who become disabled before age 22 may qualify for Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits based upon the Social Security earnings record of their mother or father, once the mother or father goes on Social Security benefits or dies. Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has posted a study done recently which shows that a large number of people drawing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may be eligible for DAC benefits, but do not know to apply. Some excerpts from the study:
We examined information from electronic data extracts from the Agency's Supplemental Security (SSR) and Master Beneficiary Records (MBR). As of August 10, 2006, our examination had identified 278,794 SSI recipients who had (1) attained age 18 on or after August 22, 1996; (2) established their dates of disability before age 22; (3) received OASDI benefits as children; and (4) received SSI payments. For these recipients, we applied additional screening requirements and found 5,908 individuals who appeared to be eligible for additional OASDI benefits. These individuals were receiving only SSI payments as of August 2006. ...
Of the 5,908 SSI recipients, we selected a random sample of 200 for review. We independently reviewed information, recorded as of September 2006, in these recipients' respective SSRs and MBRs.RESULTS OF REVIEW
Our analysis of information in SSA's SSR and MBR found there were SSI recipients who received OASDI benefits as child beneficiaries who appeared to be eligible for additional OASDI benefits. Of the 200 SSI recipients we reviewed, 137 appeared to be DAC cases and eligible for additional OASDI benefits. As such, we estimate about 4,047 of the 5,908 SSI recipients we identified may be eligible for additional OASDI benefits. Of the 137 DAC cases, we selected 10 SSI recipients to assess their respective OASDI and SSI payments. We determined these 10 recipients were due OASDI underpayments of approximately $114,000.
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