SSA Inspector General: Review Indicates Potential for Overpayments
An Audit Report issued by the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of the Inspector General detected, based on the sampling methodology used in the audit, inconsistencies in the recording of Self Employment Income (SEI) and the manner in which earnings adjustments are made to beneficiaries’ Social Security payments. The Report, titled “Removal of Self-employment Income and the Impact on Social Security Benefits (A-03-16-50102),” concluded that a portion of the beneficiaries examined “may have been paid about $314,000 in improper benefit payments because of SEI that was disclaimed or removed from their earnings records.” The inconsistencies cited in the report were attributed to practices like “scrambled” reporting (where SEI is reported under another return), misuse of Social Security Numbers, concealing of income to obtain Earned Income Tax Credits, and out-right errors.
The Report provided several recommendations for SSA to address the situation, all of which SSA officials agreed with.The full Report and it’s summary version can be reviewed on the OIG website by clicking here…
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