Despite what you may have seen on television or read online, Social Security disability is not a program where fraud is running rampant where non-disabled workers are collecting checks that are costing U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars every year. To the contrary, there appears to be very little fraud within the Social Security disability program, according to “The Hill,” which is the definitive newspaper on Congress.
In a recent addition, the newspaper stated “According to Social Security’s watchdogs, fraud in Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is extremely rare. Despite the media attention to aggregations of fraud, it is absolutely critical for the public to know the circumstances of the people who rely on SSDI.”
The story was written in response to the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, holding hearings to examine allegations that New York City firefighters and police officers were collecting SSDI benefits when they did not deserve them.
Obviously, the Social Security Administration and the federal government should continue to investigate Social Security fraud allegations and those found guilty for committing Social Security disability fraud should be punished, but the idea that fraud is highly prevalent is just not true.
Considering that the Social Security Administration operates on a budget equal to just 1.4 percent of the benefits it pays out each year, the low level of fraud within the system is actually quite remarkable. As the number of retirement and disability recipients increases each year, mainly due to the fact that the population continues to grow and because of the aging Baby Boomer Generation, Congress should think more about increasing Social Security’s budget so it can do an even more thorough job stamping out fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.
To learn more about the debate about fraud within the Social Security disability program checkout “The Hill’s” recent article about the subject click here.
