INTERNAL DOCS: DOGE Delayed Americans’ Social Security Benefits — And Still Can’t Find Fraud at SSA Arrow

Key Point: "After installing anti-fraud checks for benefit claims made over the phone early last month, the Social Security Administration is considering walking back the policy after finding only two cases that had a high probability of being fraudulent. … The anti-fraud tool … has slowed retirement claim processing by 25% and led to a 'degradation of public service,' according to an internal May document."

Nextgov/FCW: DOGE went looking for phone fraud at SSA - and found almost none

By Natalie Alms

• After installing anti-fraud checks for benefit claims made over the phone early last month, the Social Security Administration is considering walking back the policy after finding only two cases that had a high probability of being fraudulent.

• The anti-fraud tool set up last month after weeks of changes to the agency's telephone policies has slowed retirement claim processing by 25% and led to a "degradation of public service," according to an internal May document obtained by Nextgov/FCW

• Under the new policy, the agency found that only two benefit claims out of over 110,000 had a high probability of being fraudulent - and they aren't guaranteed to be so. Less than 1% of claims were flagged as even potentially fraudulent at all.

• The attention to fraud, however, did cause delays, as SSA changed its phone procedures to add the checks on the backend.

• [T]he anti-fraud check policy for benefit claims made over SSA's phone lines was one of many changes and reversals the agency announced as DOGE and White House officials made false and misleading claims about fraudsters getting benefits over the phone.

• Overall, fraud at SSA is a miniscule problem. Only 0.3% of SSA's old-age, survivor and disability insurance payments are considered "improper payments" - a category that also covers mistakes, like payments that should've been made but were missing a signature. Only a sliver of that 0.3% is due to fraud, according to a recent oversight report.