Another Elderly Woman Investigated for Stealing Social Security Benefits

After the news broke about the 82-year-old woman who was charged for stealing social security benefits last September, another elderly woman is being investigation for the same illegal act.

As reported, a 72-year-old woman from Gretna, Louisiana was sentenced to probation for stealing more than $135,000.00 in Social Security benefits after her mother died.

Based on the initial investigation, the woman, identified as Shirley A. Bunda, and late her mother used to share a checking account during the latter’s lifetime. However, when her mother died on February 15, 1998, Bunda failed to inform the Social Security Administration (SSA) about it.

Consequently, Bunda continued to receive her late mother’s social security benefits payment since the agency was clueless that the real beneficiary had passed away. 

Bunda’s illegal act was only discovered on August 3, 2011. The amount she collected from her mother’s benefits reportedly amounted to over $135,000.00, which she has to repay aside from the restitution in the amount of $133,297.00.

Incidentally, Bunda has already repaid $40,000.00 dollars. Nevertheless, she was still sentenced to three years probation by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan last Wednesday.

Apparently, the act was initially unintentional, but it eventually became inexcusable on the part of Bunda since she obviously enjoyed receiving her undue benefits and didn’t even bother to report her mother’s death.

Meanwhile, the SSA is encouraging everyone to report the death of any social security recipients. In fact, the agency readily provided its contact details on its official website in case of a recipient’s death so that it could stop sending payments to the same. Also, a Los Angeles disability lawyer here reminded everyone that such illegal acts cannot be concealed forever; therefore, it would be best if people would simply avoid doing it so.

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SSA Employee Indicted for Obtaining Un-entitled Disability Benefits

A Social Security Administration (SSA) employee and two other civilians were indicted for an alleged decade-long conspiracy to collect un-entitled disability benefits from the federal government.

The indictment was confirmed by news reports on Friday claiming that Dianne Josephine Chess, 49, service representative at the Social Security office in St. Paul, Victor Ray Holloway, 52, and Angela Grace Hinkle, 49, had a long time conspiracy to commit fraud.

Apparently, based on the investigation conducted by the federal government, Chess obtained social security account numbers and social security cards for Holloway and Hinkle. Chess, being employed at the federal agency was able to enter a fake personal identification into the SSA’s computerized data entry system. The frauds were said to obtain more than $77,000.00 in Social Security disability benefits.

Consequently, Holloway and Hinkle now face additional charges as well aside from theft of public money and making false statements related to their application for benefits way back in 2009.

Furthermore, court records revealed that Holloway has prior convictions for theft, robbery, assault, forgery, drive-by shooting, drugs, and transaction card fraud in different identities while Hinkle was convicted for theft and transaction card fraud in different identities as well.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles SSI lawyer here is a little disappointed with such kind of employees since we are all aware that the federal funds allotted for the said program that helps the disabled, the elderly, and the poor are continuously being exhausted. He said that given such situation, there are still individuals who take advantage of the loopholes in the system. Hopefully, the federal government will totally crack down such frauds, the lawyer added.

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Prolong Sitting Could Increase Risk of Disability from Type 2 Diabetes: Study

According to a study conducted by U.K. researchers, led by Dr. Emma Wilmot of the Leicester General Hospital, inactive lifestyle imposes heath risks to many.

Accordingly, sitting for long hours increases the risk of developing diabetes and other related disabling conditions.

In the said study, researchers reviewed the findings of 18 different health studies of approximately 800,000 adults from different countries, including the – United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and certain European countries. Each study observed various sitting activities like watching TV or driving.

Subsequently, the researchers found out that prolonged sitting generate poorer health, resulting in certain illnesses, such as risk of type 2 diabetes. Also, some of the findings even revealed that sitting for a long period could double the risk of diabetes.

Incidentally, for many years doctors have been trying to suggest more physical activities to patients to avoid developing certain medical conditions that may lead to long-term or even permanent disability particularly in young adults.

People who cannot avoid sitting for long period of time are encourage    d to do more frequent activities to reduce the risk of disabling conditions caused diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the many serious medical conditions that may qualify for long-term disability benefits under the federal laws. Some of its complications can eventually develop additional disabling conditions like nerve damage and heart ailments.

Consequently, obtaining such benefits is a long way process. Basically, a claim must be supported by documental evidences that include consistent medical care in cases as such. Also, claimants must review their insurance policy documents to check on their eligibility. Therefore, many Los Angeles social security disability lawyers always advise patients to have a consistent medical treatment for their disability or medical condition to help support their evidence as well as to know the status of their policies.

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Super Storm Sandy Leaves Some Social Security Benefits Recipients Waiting

The last few days of October have not been so good to the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut due to the arrival of super storm Sandy.

Aside from devastating infrastructures and homes of thousands of families in the said states, Sandy also left hundreds of thousands of social security disability benefit recipients waiting due to disrupted mail service.

Usually, social security benefits payments are being sent every third day of the month. However, this month of November, the payments were sent on the second day since the third day fell on a Saturday.

Unfortunately, the said day is also the same day when the U.S. Postal Service was struggling, trying to restore service on the areas affected by the super storm. Therefore, a significant number of recipients who are still relying on paper checks have not yet received their disability benefit payments, while those who have switched to electronic payments have already received their due benefits.

Accordingly, there are 92,000 retirement and disability benefit recipients who still receive their payments in paper checks via U.S. Postal Service, with around 43,000 in Connecticut and some 229,000 in New York.

In locations that could not be reached safely for delivery, mails are being returned to the nearest local post offices so that recipients can pick up their checks at those offices any time they are available. However, claimants are required to bring identifications that will reveal the same address that is on the check.

Also, recipients who have not yet received their checks can visit any local social security offices to request an immediate payment. During such emergencies, the agency can issue a payment on the spot.

In some local offices that have been closed due to the storm, recipients are advised to call the agency’s toll free number, 1-800-772-1213 or to visit its website www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency.

In addition, for the recipients’ convenience, the agency also posted a list of closed local offices in its website at www.ssa.gov which was said to be updated every hour.  

Meanwhile, since the agency advised recipients to switch to electronic payments a while ago, a Los Angeles long term disability lawyer here likewise suggested that it is absolutely a good idea if all recipients would consider the said mode of payment to avoid encountering similar problems in the future.

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