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Report File
Date Issued
Submitting OIG
Social Security Administration OIG
Other Participating OIGs
Social Security Administration OIG
Agencies Reviewed/Investigated
Social Security Administration
Report Number
A-08-21-51049
Report Description

Objectives; To determine (1) whether the Social Security Administration accurately and timely paid beneficiaries subject to the earnings test and (2) the administrative costs to enforce the earnings test.

Report Type
Audit
Agency Wide
Yes
Number of Recommendations
10
Questioned Costs
$177,465,869
Funds for Better Use
$81,069,424

Open Recommendations

This report has 9 open recommendations.
Recommendation Number Significant Recommendation Recommended Questioned Costs Recommended Funds for Better Use Additional Details
1 No $0 $0 Agree

Where cost effective, expand existing initiatives to obtain earnings information electronically.

2 No $0 $0 Agree

Automate printing applicants’ responses to the earnings-test questions on the application summary SSA provides beneficiaries when they request to start receiving their Old-Age, Survivor, and Disability Insurance benefits.

3 Yes $148,014,267 $0 Agree

Revise systems to ensure the Agency requests monthly earnings information from beneficiaries eligible for the monthly earnings test before it assesses an overpayment.

4 No $0 $0 Agree

Add language to overpayment notices informing beneficiaries who are eligible for the monthly earnings test their overpayment may be reduced or eliminated if they had monthly wages below the applicable limit.

5 No $29,365,023 $0 Agree

Expand controls to detect potential underpayments based on discrepancies between the Master Beneficiary Record and Master Earnings File.

7 Yes $0 $81,069,424 Agree

Implement systems changes to automatically grant earnings-test-related monthly benefit increases at, or closer to, the date they are first allowed by policy.

8 No $0 $0 Agree

Clarify policy to inform employees of criteria that must be met to grant earnings-test-related monthly benefit increases and what actions they must take to release payments to beneficiaries.

9 No $0 $0 Agree

Determine the costs associated with collecting earnings-test overpayments and re-evaluate the threshold established in policy and systems to exclude overpayments from the earnings enforcement process if the estimated cost to recover the resulting overpayment exceeds the potential collections.

10 No $86,579 $0 Agree

Correct the remaining error cases from the sample reviews.

Social Security Administration OIG

United States