With the rising number of workers in America who are dependent on SSDI benefits rising to a record one out of fourteen, the Social Security Administration is experiencing a loss of funds at a rate much earlier than anticipated (Finger n.p). The funds intended to return to workers once retirements are reached are now instead going to SSDI beneficiaries. Noted by Finger “According to the Congressional Research Services this program cost taxpayers $128.9 billion in 2011 and was in deficit to the tune of $25.3 billion” (Finger n.p). The SSA funds come from the constant 1.8% payroll tax, and SSDI makes up 18% of Social Security spending (Finger n.p). Taxpayers are unknowingly suffering from disability fraud without even realizing the seriousness …show more content…
The program currently participates in several different methods, but fraud is still prevalent within the system. One of the most effective methods of fraud prevention enacted by the Social Security Administration is the usage of field representatives. As field representatives, the SSA employees are required to investigate the SSDI recipients of a certain area (Koeppel n.p). While interviewing SSA employee Mike Nelson, who had been working for the government program for over 25 years, he states “A lot of people say, “You’re just here to make sure I’m alive. Right?” (Koeppel n.p). The most common form of Social Security fraud is typically the continuation of payments after the beneficiaries’ death. For the most part, Nelson stated that the people he checks on are “fairly honest,” and “out of about 6,000 visits in the region, we referred 27 cases to the office of investigation” (Koeppel n.p). Since 1999, when Koeppel conducted the interview, the requirement for a more effective method of finding fraudulent beneficiaries has certainly become an issue the Social Security Administration and the government must