Social Security Benefits: Abuse and Misuse
The need for Social Security Benefits can come at one of the most challenging times for a person recently suffering from catastrophic injury sustained in an accident or who is otherwise unable to work due to unexpected life-changes. When a person is incapable of working or earning a living because of the limitations of their disability or illness, he or she may qualify for Social Security Benefits. Individuals who abuse or misuse the Social Security system do a great disservice to those who legitimately need the financial assistance to help pay for the most basic of needs.
A Virginia man was recently sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for wire fraud and stealing $49,000 in Social Security payments. According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, the 47-year-old man lived with a domestic partner who was given Social Security Disability Benefits between 1991 and 2001. After his partner left and went back to work, disability payments were still being sent to the 47-year-old man’s address. Instead of informing the Social Security Administration of the mistake, the man kept the payments, forged his former partner’s signature, and even went as far as asking that the checks be deposited automatically into his own checking account.
The Social Security Office of the Inspector General makes it known that concealing material facts or events that affect eligibility for benefits can be considered fraud. Far too many people make the big mistake of simply assuming that if they do not tell the SSA about changes that may affect their benefits, then the SSA won’t notice. Similar to how the man in the aforementioned case failed to report that Social Security checks of his former partner were still being delivered, a person can commit fraud by making false statements on an application or failing to inform the SSA about returning to work, getting a new job, being in jail, or failing to notify the SSA of the death of a beneficiary.
Calculating the amount of Social Security support a person receives is a complex process that examines an applicant’s social and financial circumstances. In many instances, an individual seeking Social Security Benefits finds it beneficial to have a Pennsylvania Social Security attorney on his or her side.
