Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Preventing Fraud Remains a Top Priority of the Social Security Administration

Three months into the new Social Security Commissioner’s post, it is clear that preventing fraud still remains one of the top initiatives at the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). Andrew Saul, the recently appointed Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, stated that SSA has “zero tolerance” for fraud and that the Administration is “committed to detecting and preventing it.”

In keeping with SSA’s longstanding policy of ferreting out fraud, SSA and the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”), announced expansion of the Cooperative Disability Investigations (“CDI”) Program.  CDI units both identify and investigate Social Security disability fraud. Launched in 1997, the CDI program currently has 46 units in 40 states, but SSA has the goal of expanding he CDI program into all 50 states eventually.

Most recently, CDI offices were opened in Bismarck, North Dakota; Boise, Idaho; and Helena, Montana.  The Puerto Rican CDI office also expanded their territory to handle potential cases of disability fraud in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As always, if you suspect someone of committing Social Security disability fraud, please contact OIG’s reporting line at (800) 269-0271. Social Security disability benefits are vital to helping those who are truly disabled and those who defraud this important program should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Got a question about SSDI or SSI that you need us to answer? Please check out our website at www.westcoastdisability.com . We try to provide you with helpful information on our website that will allow you to successfully navigate the Social Security Disability process. Also, feel free to email me your questions at megan@westcoastdisability.com or call me at (800) 459-3017 x 103.