People both working and collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefits have been one area of focus for those hoping to reform SSDI. They can be difficult for the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to catch, as the SSA simply does not have the resources. But what about federal employees working and collecting SSDI? Wouldn’t the federal government be able to catch its own employees taking advantage of the system more easily than regular workers?
The answer, it seems, is no. The government’s watchdog, the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), was interested in finding out the number of federal employees working and receiving SSDI benefits. At first, they only ran the numbers for three agencies – the Treasury, the Post Office and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Over slightly more than two years, the GAO found that about 1,500 federal workers received disability benefits when they most likely should not have been. Injured workers concerned about their eligibility for SSDI can consult a Tulsa Social Security Disability attorney for additional information.
A Transportation Security Administration airport screener proved to be one particularly egregious case of SSDI fraud. She earned $50,000 a year for her federal job, all while she collected a $250 stimulus check intended for disabled workers and roughly $108,000 in SSDI payments. A Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyer can provide guidance on who can qualify for SSDI benefits.
