The Social Security Administration made $6.5 billion in overpayments to people not entitled to receive them in 2009 including $4 billion under a supplemental income program for the very poor a government investigator said Tuesday reports Time Magazine.
- In all about 10 percent of the payments made under the agencys Supplemental Security Income program were improper says Patrick P. OCarroll Jr. the Social Security inspector general.
- Error rates were much smaller for retirement survivor and disability benefits which make up the overwhelming majority of Social Security payments.
- Throughout the federal government improper payments totaled $125 billion last year up from $110 billion in 2009.
- In 2009 only two other agencies -- the Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor -- had more improper payments than Social Security.
Social Security has improved the accuracy of its payments in each of the past three years and is working on more improvements says Carolyn W. Colvin the agencys deputy commissioner.
- In all the agency made $660 billion in retirement survivors and disability payments in 2009 including an estimated $2.5 billion in overpayments and $600 million in underpayments says OCarroll.
- Colvin says policing the Supplemental Security Income program is more difficult because benefits can change each month based on changes in income and living arrangements.
- In 2009 the Supplemental Security Income program made payments totaling $48.3 billion including an estimated $4 billion in overpayments and $800 million in underpayments.
Source: Stephen Ohlemacher Social Security Overpaid $6.9B in 2009 Time Magazine June 14 2011.
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http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/08599207769000.html
