Did you know that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) fraud is uncommon? Often, in the media, you hear stories about people facing prosecution over instances of fraud, but statistics indicate that deception is very rare.
Recently, the Social Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its Semiannual Report to Congress, which you can view by visiting the source link at the bottom of this page.
As you can see through the OIG report, during the 2014 fiscal year, the OIG received reports about 121,461 allegations of fraud and opened 8,335 cases or investigations, which brought 1,291 criminal convictions.
While these numbers seem high, keep in mind, more than 63 million people currently receive benefits through the SSA. When you look at the numbers, the OIG deemed that only about 6 percent of allegations were worth an investigation, with only about 1 percent of the number of allegations reported resulting in a conviction.
These numbers back up an earlier study by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities that found that fraud constitutes less than 1 percent of SSDI paid benefits.
Obviously, people who commit Social Security fraud should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, any portrayal in the media that there are large fraud schemes in place is simply untrue. While there have been instances of schemes reported, for the most part, fraud is rare.
I Need Help Applying for SSDI Benefits
Remember, to qualify for SSDI, a person has to prove that he or she cannot work. The SSA uses a strict five-step evaluation for people who are applying for benefits. Additionally, recipients have to have work credits to obtain benefits.
Individuals who attempt to cheat the Social Security system are punished in criminal court, where they face potential prison time and fines. If you need help applying for SSDI, you can speak to our attorneys. We offer our services on a contingency fee basis.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyers
Source: http://oig.ssa.gov/sites/default/files/semiannual/SARC%20Fall%202014%20INTERACTIVE_0.pdf
