Disability Insurance

"THe Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Insurance (DI) program paid almost $123 billion in benefits in fiscal year 2010 to more than 10 million workers and dependents. The program is poised to grow further as the baby boom generation ages. GAO examined (1) what is known about the extent to which SSA makes overpayments to, and recovers overpayments from, DI beneficiaries who exceed program earnings guidelines, and (2) potential DI program vulnerabilities that may contribute to overpayments to beneficiaries who have returned to work. To answer these questions, GAO reviewed work continuing disability review (work CDR) policies and procedures, interviewed SSA headquarters and processing center officials, visited 4 of 8 processing centers, and reviewed a random nongeneralizable sample of 60 CDR case files across those 4 centers (15 from each). GAO recommends that SSA develop and adopt agencywide performance goals for recovering DI overpayments and processing work CDRs, require supervisory review of certain repayment plans, address a system limitation which precludes an accurate record of debt owed SSA, and explore options for obtaining more timely earnings information. SSA agreed with four of five recommendations. It disagreed with the need for supervisory review of repayment..."