How does Social Security Disability or Social Security Insurance Fraud cases work?
Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at
5:44 pm
I have been on Social Security for many years and have on occasion received certification letters in the mail. I am now being sent the same paperwork, should there be concern for this? I am afraid of losing my benefits as my husband is currently unemployed and we are barely making it on my small disability benefits. Thanks for your help.
Tagged with: certification letters • disability benefits • mail • paperwork • social security • thanks for your help
Filed under: Insurance Fraud
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Hello there I have worked with the Office of Social Security for over 25 years. Hopefully I will be able to provide some answers that may be of help to you. If you are concerned about someone tipping you off as a possible fraud case you need to first stop and ask yourself why somebody would do that. Are you adhering to the rules and regulations of Social Security Disability or Insurance benefits? Here is some information you should make yourself familiar and aware of:
Certification letters get sent out to individuals every 1 to 3 years depending on their physical or mental disability. If you have already filled one out this year or within the last 2 years and received a statement of continued benefits with award dollar amount and you are being investigated again this is due to information the Social Security Office has received that shows you are no longer disabled, or are doing things that you have on paper you cannot perform due to your disability. This can come from field officers observing you not being "disabled" or from fraud tip offs that are annomonusly given to one of our many offices or toll free numbers,
Certification and redetermination of elgibility will always come on social Security White or manila colored envelopes that are addressed with typed mailing addresses displaying your name and the Social Seucurity Federal Government Logo and licensing information.
Any letters talking about reviwing your case and assigned to a Manager or Distric field officer is a definite sign of a fraud tip off report or field officer observation. These letters typically come in Handwritten envelopes with a caseworker and case number on the envelope the number typically corespondes to the fraud tip off file number.
If you have nothing to worry about you should be fine. Keep in mind other sure tell signs of this being a fraud investigation is if you are asked to certify any other federal, state, or local aid. As doing them all together at the same time NEVER happens unless it is a fraud case.
Depending on your age, the Social Security office sends everyone a certification letter every three years to verify you are still disabled. It is just routine. Once you get closer to age 65 they will stop.
If you are under 65, you can try the Ticket to Work program and get a job even if you are on Disability. Check online and call them. It was a program with a network of employment and training agencies in different areas. You don’t have to have one where you live.
How often your case is up for review depends on your specific disability and prognosis. It can range from 3 to 6 years on average. If someone is blind, they wont review the case every 3 years and I’ve known people who have gone 6 years without a review.
You should be concerned because: it doesn’t sound like you’re anywhere near retirement age, the entire healthcare system is in jeopardy (no cost of living increase next year), and more people than ever before are now eligible to collect Social Security benefits.
It’s important that you show you’ve been making an effort to get better and to try working again via the 9 month trial work period. This means seeing the doctor or physical therapist or psychiatrist regularly and ensuring your disability and how it keeps you from working is well-documented. Ticket to Work will kick you off once you complete the program even if you are still disabled.
Your best bet is to find a job, take advantage of the trial work period, and save as much money as you can. Working will not affect your benefits for those 9 months. If you are doing everything you can and not playing couch potato while avoiding doctors and attempting to work then your benefits should continue.