Social Security Employee Convicted Of Fraud

     From some radio or television station in Indiana that likes to call itself "ABC57":

A South Bend woman who worked for the Social Security Administration was convicted in federal court of ten counts of making false entries in government records, two counts of conversion of government money, and one count of wire fraud.

Sharon Ramos, 56, was convicted after a four day jury trial.

Between January 2008 and December 2013, Ramos made false and fictitious representations on Supplemental Security Income accounts of numerous claimants. The improper entries resulted in numerous claimants receiving payments they were not entitled to receive, according to the US Attorney's Office. ... 

What About Criminal Charges?

     From a press release:

The United States recovered $200,000 as a settlement of allegations that Stephen G. Ackerman violated the federal False Claims Act by improperly accepting Social Security Disability Income payments and misleading the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) about his work activity, acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer announced.

The Settlement Agreement resolves contentions by the United States that Mr. Ackerman failed to accurately report his work activity to SSA between January 2011 and January 2016.  The United States contends that Mr. Ackerman engaged in substantial gainful activity that made him ineligible to receive his monthly disability income payments through his work on behalf of Organic Alternatives, a marijuana retail business Mr. Ackerman owns and operates.  Because Mr. Ackerman was not truthful to SSA about his work activity, the United States contends that he is liable under the False Claims Act, which allows for civil penalties and treble damages. ...

     Did Mr. Ackerman buy his way out of criminal charges?

Headcount Ticks Up Slightly

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has posted updated figures for the number of employees at the Social Security Administration:

• September 2017 62,297
• June 2017 61,592
• March 2017 62,183
• December 2016 63,364
• September 2016 64,394 
• December 2015 65,518
• September 2015 65,717
• June 2015 65,666
• March 2015 64,432
• December 2014 65,430
• September 2014 64,684
• June 2014 62,651
• March 2014 60,820
• December 2013 61,957
• September 2013 62,543
• December 2012 64,538
• September 2012 65,113
• September 2011 67,136
• December 2010 70,270
• December 2009 67,486
• September 2009 67,632
• December 2008 63,733
• September 2008 63,990

Nine Months For Throwing Rock Through Window

     From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

A Metairie man was sentenced Wednesday (Nov. 1) to nine months in prison for hurling a "medium to large sized rock" through a second-floor window of the U.S. Social Security Administration's office in Kenner, according to federal court documents.

Bobby Joseph Hammond, 38, was also ordered to pay $1,330 in restitution after he previously pleaded guilty to felony destruction of government property for throwing the rock. ...

In an interview with federal investigators, Hammond's mother said her son has mental illness and refuses to take his prescribed medication. ...

In a separate item, the affidavit shows that Hammond's mother told investigators she used to be the payee for her son's Social Security checks, but he had asked her to remove herself, which stopped the checks from being deposited into her bank account. 

After Hammond's checks were no longer deposited into her bank account, Hammond grew angry "because he did not have access to his money," according to his mother's statements. ...

I'll Take A Guess

     The Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office is asking why there is a higher percentage of Vermonters drawing Social Security disability benefits due to mental illness than the national average. I'll give them an answer they haven't considered. Vermont is in Social Security's Region I. That Region has long had higher approval rates than other Regions. Regions matter since Regional Office Quality Assurance reviews most favorable determinations (but few unfavorable determinations) made within the Region. Mental illness disability determinations are particularly sensitive to differences in adjudicative climate.

Tinkering With Work Incentives Won't Matter

    Here's another writer who thinks that people will fly off the disability rolls if we just tinker with work incentives. We should change it from a cliff to a ramp but I'm telling you that it will make little difference. We've had near continuous tinkering with work incentives since the 1960s -- yes, the 1960s -- to no effect. Additional tinkering won't matter much. There are two fallacies underlying all this tinkering -- the belief that it's not that hard to get on disability benefits and that people who go on disability benefits will eventually get better. Neither is even a little bit true.

Happy Halloween!

Yes, I know they're actually dressed for Dia de los Muertos but that's sorta the same thing.

Why So Much Homelessness?

     From The Oregonian:

Of the 4,000 people living on the streets in Multnomah County, more than half have serious mental illness and more than a third have physical disabilities.

You'd think many of these people could qualify for disability income help from the government.

The short answer is they probably could. 

The reality is the more disabled they are, the harder it is for them to pursue benefits.

This is where Mellani Calvin comes in. In April 2010, she founded the nonprofit ASSIST, which stands for "Assertive Supplemental Security Income Service Team." From a small office in Southwest Portland, the five-member staff works with indigent or homeless clients seeking to qualify for disability benefits. ...