SSA Erred in Paying Disability Benefits

During an 18-month investigation conducted by the chamber’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, it was revealed that the Social Security Administration (SSA) improperly paid disability benefits in more than a quarter of cases examined between 2006 and 2010.

The said investigation headed by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn revealed that of 300 disability cases that they randomly selected, more than 25 percent of which received benefits without properly addressing insufficient, contradictory, and incomplete evidence.

According to Sen. Coburn, the bipartisan report presents information gathered over the past few years and concluded that the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are swinging on financial bankruptcy. 

In its 136-page report, the senate focused on notable benefits rulings made by SSA’s administrative law judges, including the one in Oklahoma who was found to have awarded more than $1.6 billion in lifetime benefits in just a matter of three years. It appeared from the investigation that Judge Howard O’Bryan of Oklahoma City approved approximately 90 percent of more than 5,400 cases between 2007 and 2009 and most of them are surprisingly confirmed without hearings.

Other than that, the report further discovered that the agency added 5.9 million Americans to the disability benefit rolls since January 2009. Therefore, in 2010, 10.6 million people were receiving over $128 billion in disability benefit payments. Also, the report concluded that several administrative judges used ‘cut and paste’ images of medical records in favorable award decisions instead of including written analysis.

In a Capitol Hill hearing, Sen. Coburn noted that although the purpose of the disability benefit program is to make sure that all Americans will have a secured source of income once they become disabled and can no longer work, it should be kept in mind that such law means being unable to work any job in the national economy.

Meanwhile, in response to the previous investigation, the SSA has undertaken a strong set of initiatives since the time when most of the questioned cases were resolved. The agency has recently made substantial progress according to the agency’s spokesperson, Mark Hinkle.

Unfortunately, each erred decisions possibly cost billions of taxpayers’ money, according to several Los Angeles social security disability lawyers. Nevertheless, they admire how the senate and the agency worked together to crack down frauds and other improper conducts related to disability benefits.    

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82-year-old Social Security Disability Fraud Sentenced with Home Confinement

It was not an extra-ordinary case of a social security disability fraud. Its only difference is that the accused is a female octogenarian. Therefore, she was sentenced with a little consideration.

According to reports, the 82-year-old woman identified as Evelyn Baptiste of Montgomery County was charged for stealing social security benefits.

According to court documents, the amount of disability benefits that Baptiste pocketed amounted to $186,000.00.

Incidentally, during an internal audit done early this year, authorities discovered that Baptiste was receiving two social security checks each month. One was the traditional payout that are being sent to retirees and the other one was the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that are being given to help unemployed, elderly, and disabled citizens. However, the latter was being sent under another’s name but to the same address where Baptiste live.

Unfortunately, it took decades before officials discovered Baptiste’s fraudulent act. Therefore, the total amount of her disability earnings had climbed up to hundreds of dollars.

Last May, Baptiste was officially charged with two counts of social security fraud by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General wherein she pleaded guilty to both charges.

Moreover, during the arraignment, U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker agreed to set aside the federal guidelines in ruling over Baptiste’s case considering the latter’s age and since she was a first-time offender as well. However, it does not exclude Baptiste from being sentenced for her misconduct. The said presiding judge sentenced her with six months of home confinement and five years probation.

Subsequently, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz likewise agreed with Tucker’s resolution and claimed that Baptiste’s age and declining health condition made her an impossible inmate.

Based on data gathered by the Justice Department nationwide over the past couple of years, out of 170 defendants sentenced with federal crimes, only a few dozens were octogenarians. In fact, only three of them were female.

Furthermore, according to Baptiste’s legal representative, the accused can only reciprocate $50 dollars a month due to her medical expenses, car insurance, housing costs, and other household bills.

Apparently, it was a fair decision, commended a Los Angeles SSI lawyer. Although criminal acts usually does not have exemption to the rules, elderly offenders like Baptiste should be at least given with such consideration.

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SSA Speaks Out Following Widespread Conspiracy Theories on Ammo Purchase

Recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced its request to purchase 174,000 rounds of .357 Sig grain bonded jacketed hollow point bullets and the said news immediately broke all over the Internet.

Unfortunately, the agency’s plan of purchasing bullets has sparked different theories why an agency that is providing benefits to retirees, disabled workers, survivors, and dependents would need ammunitions.

Since then, the issue became a distraction for the agency, which prompted it to dedicate a specific website explaining the purchase.

According to a statement released by the agency, it claimed that the bullets are intended for its office of inspector general, which houses nearly 300 agents who investigate Social Security fraud and other crimes.

The agency’s assistant inspector general for external relations, Jonathan L. Lasher said that last year, the agency carried out 589 guns and fraud and criminal arrests. Also, the agency served search warrants and responded to threats against its offices, employees, and customers.

Now, after the agency’s request for ammo purchase has been granted, Lasher further explained that the recently purchased bullets, which sum up to about 590 per agent, are reserved for the upcoming fiscal year. Some of the bullets will be used on the firing range, added Lasher.

After the agency explained itself regarding the bullet purchase, disputes about why agents need hollow-point bullets instead of the other types of ammo subsequently sparked again. According to some critics, hollow-point bullets are known for causing more tissue damage than other bullets when it hit a person since such type of ammo expands when it enters the body.

Lasher, defending the agency, stated that hollow-point bullets are the standard issue for many law enforcement agencies. In fact, Lasher’s statement was duly confirmed by the directors of two law enforcement training centers.

Apparently, Lasher, on behalf of the agency, had clearly pointed out his views. Just like any other federal agency, the SSA also needs to beef up its training and security, according to a Los Angeles long term disability lawyer.

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Chicago Cop’s Disability Payment Suspended

A Chicago police officer’s disability payment was suspended last Thursday by the Chicago Police Pension Board after the latter found out that the cop has been collecting disability payments while looking fit enough in his second job.

In a recent investigation conducted by the Sun-Times, several police and firefighter officers were found to be egregiously collecting disability payment while having their second job and one of the most distinguished frauds was Charles T. Siedlecki.

Apparently, Siedlecki started collecting disability payments a couple of decades ago after he went on disability due to an injury, which allegedly made it impossible for him to safely hand a gun. However, during his recent “duty-disability status review,” he was cited in several photos holding a rifle while posing with an animal he killed in African Safaris. Also, the investigation revealed that Siedlecki has used his disability payments to earn a law degree and run his family’s funeral business.

Meanwhile, the eight members of the said board was temporarily kept from permanently revoking Siedlecki’s disability payments after failing to properly notify the cop regarding his duty-disability status review.

According to reports, the board erroneously sent the letter of notification to Siedlecki’s father, Charles C. Siedlecki, who was a retired police.

Consequently, the Fraternal Order of Police President, Micheal Shields, suggested that Siedlecki should have at least one day to defend himself.

However, while Siedlecki’s case was temporarily hindered, the board continuously reviews the medical records of the other police and firefighters named in the Sun-times reports.

On the other hand, the Fraternal Order Police said that the Police Department doesn’t want such officers back in duty, although there are lots of limited-duty desk jobs available for those cops to handle.

If a board decided to permanently revoke Siedlecki’s disability benefit payments, it can also try to recover the money that was previously paid to the cop, briefly explained by a Los Angeles disability lawyer. According to the Sun-Times report, Siedlecki has collected a total of more than $175,000.00.

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