Social Security Fraud and Your Application: How They Relate

Prosecutors recently dismissed charges against eight people accused of Social Security disability fraud in New York. These charges were particularly surprising when they first appeared in court, because the defendants were primarily former first responders.

The Manhattan District Attorney brought the indictments in the first part of 2014. There were 130 people charged with grand larceny and Social Security fraud. According to the District Attorney, the defendants were responsible for scamming the system to receive over $20 million in benefits.

However, the defendants had a different story. The firefighters and city police claimed that their disability was real and it came as a result of what they experienced during the 9/11 attacks. The DA decided to drop the charges after finding new evidence that cleared the defendants’ names.

Why Social Security Disability Fraud Is Hurtful

In this case, the right people are receiving Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits. However, Social Security disability fraud still is a serious, widespread problem.

When you’re applying for Social Security disability in Boston you might not know how a Social Security disability fraud case in New York pertains to your application. What you learn might surprise you. Here are three ways fraudulent claims across the country could harm your application.

• It makes it harder for you to be approved. When the Social Security Administration (SSA) finds that numerous people are scamming the system out of money, they clamp down on approvals across the country. This makes it more difficult for you, a person legitimately in need of benefits, to get approved.
• It takes longer for your case to be processed. The processing times for SSDI applications is already extraordinary. Having the queue filled with fraudulent claims makes your approval slower and more drawn out.
• It steals away money from the people who need it the most. Social Security disability benefits are federal benefits. When people across the country bilk the system, the federal government is less inclined to dole out the necessary funding to cover SSDI in all states.

Fraudulent Social Security disability claims have a direct impact on every applicant regardless of location.

If you’re struggling to get approved and are sick of outrageous processing times, we encourage you to share this article. Sharing these insights into how fraudulent applications hurt everyone might prevent someone from trying to test their luck and apply for disability benefits if they do not qualify.