10/09/15

Recommendation 4: To improve SSA’s ability to detect, prevent, and recover potential Disability Insurance (DI) benefit overpayments due to the concurrent receipt of Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA) benefits, the Commissioner of Social Security should strengthen internal controls designed to prevent DI overpayments due to the concurrent receipt of FECA benefits by implementing the alternative that provides the greatest net benefits.

Open

Open. The benefits of establishing a data exchange with the Department of Labor (DOL) outweigh the costs by nearly 5 to 1. We are working with DOL to establish a legal agreement and anticipate implementation early in FY 2026.

12/20/2022

Recommendation 1: Establish a reasonable time frame for when the agency will post access and consent forms on the agency’s privacy program website.

Open

On July 29, 2023, we posted to our website an electronic consent form that complies with the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2019 and Office of Management and Budget memorandum M-21-04. On August 24, 2024, we updated the electronic consent form with a version that simplifies the electronic signature process. By early FY 2026, we are working to provide users the option to select the time period for requested records. We are evaluating a realistic timeline to develop a fully compliant access form. Our current roadmap estimates

completion after FY 2026 due to the complex and decentralized manner we currently use to process access requests.

9/22/15

Recommendation 4: Rectify the issues, including the systems limitations and unresolved diaries found during this review, causing overpayments to be unresolved.

Open

Open. Once implemented, our new debt management product (DMP) will eliminate the occurrence of these cases in the future. DMP was originally scheduled for release in FY 2025; however, due to competing agency priorities, will not be released this year. We intend to continue development for FY 2026.

4/9/18

Recommendation 4: Identify error -prone Manual Adjustment, Credit, and Award Data Entry (MACADE) inputs for overpayment adjustments and consider the cost-effectiveness of establishing user messages to alert employees of common errors before they complete their inputs.

Open

Open. After a review of sample MACADE inputs, and given the ongoing work and resources dedicated to DMP, we concluded that it is not practical to establish an alert that identifies common MACADE adjustment errors. However, we plan to incorporate enhancements in DMP to address the primary errors caused by manual adjustments.

DMP was originally scheduled for release in FY 2025; however, due to competing agency priorities, will not be released this year. We will continue development for FY 2026. Open. In FY25, we are resuming development of the

information when developing suspension actions.

11/22/2021

Recommendation 9: Clarify policy for establishing dates of death for beneficiaries suspended based on a report from Treasury of a returned payment for death.

Open

Open. We expect to publish policy revisions in FY 2025.

04/22/2022

Recommendation 4: Update the Post-entitlement Online System and the Modernized Claims System to include alerts to notify SSA employees of potential incorrect actions and required subsequent actions.

Open

Open. We expect implementation of these enhancements by the end of FY 2025.

04/22/2022

Recommendation 5: Update the Title II Redesign System to ensure it generates an alert when SSA has terminated benefits to a child upon attaining age 18; however, the benefit record indicates the individual is a full-time student after they attain age 18.

Open

Open. We expect implementation of these enhancements by the end of FY 2025.

05/11/2022

Recommendation 1: Complete the expansion study for Access to Financial Institutions (AFI) and

Open

Open. In April 2023, we put this study on indefinite hold due to competing priorities. We plan to complete

can only use the administrative tolerance waiver for overpayments allowable under the provision.

debt activity with more confidence, accuracy, and timeliness.

12/28/18

Recommendation 1: Implement systems controls to ensure compliance with current policy, including the two-Personal Identification Number review process.

Open

Open. We will address this recommendation through our system modernization efforts. We anticipate beginning development of an SSI underpayments user interface in FY 2027.

05/15/19

Recommendation 3: Establish controls to remove the outstanding debt from terminated contingently liable beneficiaries and transfer the balance to the original debtor for an immediate payment of the overpayment or seek recovery through additional debt collection tools when available.

Open

Open. In FY25 we resumed development of the modernized debt management system and move closer to implementation. DMP remains a priority that will enable us to collect, store, monitor, and report Title II debt activity with more confidence, accuracy, and timeliness.

09/13/19

Recommendation 7: Test whether it should use additional characteristics, such as incorrect earnings, marriage, and Medicare information to identify potentially fraudulent internet claims (iClaims) and document its rationale if the Agency decides to not implement this control.

Open

Open. We successfully migrated iClaim analytics to the Anti-Fraud Product Line on September 30, 2024. The next step is to update the model and test the recommended characteristics. This process will take approximately 9 to 12 months; we anticipate completion in late FY 2025 or early FY 2026.

09/24/19

Recommendation 4: Regularly monitor the debt management database, and build controls into the modernized debt system, to ensure

Open

Open. In FY25 we resumed development of the modernized debt management system and move closer to implementation. DMP remains a priority that will enable us to collect, store, monitor, and report Title II

employees take appropriate action for overpayments in a due process status.

debt activity with more confidence, accuracy, and timeliness.

09/25/19

Recommendation 2: Establish a process to identify overpayments that exist on suspended or terminated Social Security numbers that the Re- entitled Beneficiaries process does not detect, so the Agency can transfer and recover them via benefit withholding.

Open

Open. In FY25 we resumed development of the modernized debt management system and move closer to implementation. DMP remains a priority that will enable us to collect, store, monitor, and report Title II debt activity with more confidence, accuracy, and timeliness.

03/05/20

Recommendation 4: Revise notices sent to beneficiaries and their representative payees informing them of benefit increases due to additional earnings to include the employer(s) name, earnings amounts, a reminder to report errors to SSA, and instructions on reporting errors.

Open

Open. We created a new notice to ensure earnings are accurately posted to beneficiary records and to serve as a reminder for either the beneficiary or the representative payee to report errors that is pending implementation. We estimate completion in FY 2026.

09/21/20

Recommendation 3: Implement controls, such as systems alerts and management reports, to identify beneficiaries in miscellaneous suspense status and ensure employees take corrective actions timely.

Open

Open. We plan to use the Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE) to implement this recommendation. We expect to add this issue to the CCE roadmap in FY 2027.

11/30/20

Recommendation 3: Modify business procedures, using systems

Open

Open. We plan to address this recommendation as part of our system modernization efforts. We expect

such as CCE or other applications, to better inform claims specialists of necessary actions when SSI recipients do not provide required information and evidence for Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) claims.

to begin discovery for these enhancements in FY 2026.

12/10/20

Recommendation 5: Complete actions to implement our prior recommendation to establish an automated solution that identifies disabled SSI recipients who may be entitled to Childhood Disability Benefits.

Open

Open. We will address this recommendation as part of our system modernization efforts. We expect to add this issue to the CCE roadmap in FY 2026.

06/14/21

Recommendation 4: Complete the planned update of the debt collection system to allow recovery of overpayments for non-entitled debtors.

Open

Open. In FY25 we resumed development of the modernized debt management system and move closer to implementation. DMP remains a priority that will enable us to collect, store, monitor, and report Title II debt activity with more confidence, accuracy, and timeliness.

09/28/21

Recommendation 1: Establish consistent criteria to ensure it identifies existing overpayments for which the Recovery of Overpayments, Accounting and Reporting (ROAR) system deleted a portion of the overpayment balance as part of a plan to address the untracked debt amount when it implements a solution to the ROAR system limitation.

Open

Open. We are developing policies for tracking these overpayments. An implementation date is forthcoming.

11/22/2021

Recommendation 2: Develop information reports to identify beneficiaries in death suspense for prolonged periods and instruct management to ensure technicians take appropriate actions on the cases.

Open

Open. We are exploring options to address this recommendation, which we anticipate completing by the end of FY 2025.

11/22/2021

Recommendation 3: Verify and post death information, where appropriate, for the remaining beneficiaries in the State Death population.

Open

Open. We are updating policy to address this recommendation. We expect to complete our actions by the end of FY 2026.

11/22/2021

Recommendation 4: Instruct technicians to take appropriate actions on the remaining beneficiaries in the Death Suspense population.

Open

Open. We plan to release cases to the regions in FY 2025. We expect to complete our actions by the end of FY 2026.

11/22/2021

Recommendation 7: Revise policy to instruct technicians to conduct additional searches for death

Open

Open. We expect to publish policy revisions in FY 2025.

assess the effectiveness of lowering the countable liquid resource tolerance to $0.

this study in 2026, as discussed in our Annual Evaluation Plan.

05/26/2022

Recommendation 1: Improve systems to automate benefit computations and reduce the need for manual processing.

Open

Open. We have planned a multi-year effort to modernize our core system to automate benefit computations and reduce the need for manual processing. The initial release will enhance CCE to modernize and improve automation of retirement benefit computations. We expect completion in FY 2027.

09/20/2022

Recommendation 4: If SSA does not implement recommendation 3, then it should retain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) non-wage income data in its systems beyond 2 years, so it is available for staff to process cases involving fraud or similar fault.

Open

Open. We determined that our agreement with IRS allows us to retain non-wage income data in our system for more than two years. We expect to begin implementing this recommendation in FY 2026.

Rec. #3: Update policy to establish timeframes for staff to resolve non-wage-related alerts before SSA overwrites IRS non-wage income data in its systems and/or administrative finality rules apply. – SSA disagreed with the recommendation.

09/23/2022

Recommendation 1: Implement a centralized, interactive, and user-friendly system for administering data exchanges.

Open

Open. We are incorporating data exchange agreements into a data exchange management system. We expect to implement this recommendation in FY 2025.

09/29/2022

Recommendation 2: In the system that will replace eWork, incorporate controls to increase the accurate processing of work continuing disability reviews (CDR) and functionality to expand automation of work CDR processing and effectuation, including those involving multiple entitlements, reducing the need for manual actions.

Open

Open. We plan to address this recommendation with a replacement for eWork. We expect to deploy the minimum viable product by the end of FY 2025.

09/29/2022

Recommendation 4: Update subsidy policy to include specific instructions for SSA employees to verify, document, and apply the correct subsidy amount.

Open

Open. We will update policy in conjunction with implementation of the planned eWork replacement by early FY 2027.

05/05/2023

Recommendation 1: Conduct a study to expand AFI searches between the SSI initial application and subsequent eligibility redeterminations.

Open

Open. We continue data exploration and analysis to find an optimal frequency for AFI inquiries. We expect our work on this recommendation to continue through the end of FY 2025.

06/12/2023

Recommendation 2: Establish a process to regularly determine whether back-end edit routines

Open

Open. We are exploring options to implement this recommendation. We do not currently have an implementation date.

should be added, updated, or discontinued to increase the accuracy and number of reinstatements.

06/12/2023

Recommendation 3: Track all back-end edit routine costs to regularly determine whether each edit routine is a prudent use of SSA’s limited resources.

Open

Open. We continue to explore options for implementing this recommendation. We do not currently have an implementation date.

07/21/2023

Recommendation 1: Implement measures to uniformly assess cost savings, effectiveness, and return on investment for automation enhancements, including bots, that affect manual workloads.

Open

Open. To address this recommendation, we are upgrading to a new software product that will help our Robotics Operations Center quantify the value of robotic process automations. We expect to complete installation in FY 2025.

07/21/2023

Recommendation 3: Determine whether it is cost beneficial to develop bots to assist with field office workloads.

Open

Open. We identified several bots that will benefit field office workloads. We expect to implement the bots that prove feasible by the end of FY 2026.

07/21/2023

Recommendation 4: Issue available unused licenses for bot-related software to technicians.

Open

Open. We encountered unexpected issues with an earlier resolution for this recommendation. We currently expect to complete implementation in early FY 2026.

08/14/2023

Recommendation 2: Enhance the quality review process to ensure CDR mailers are processed correctly.

Open

Open. We expect to enhance the quality review process for the CDR mailer workload by the end of FY 2025.

09/18/2023

Recommendation 3: Establish system controls to identify cases likely to have incorrect WC/PDB offsets and/or reverse offset determinations.

Open

Open. We are in the process of determining the solution’s feasibility. We expect implementation by the end of FY 2025.

09/18/2023

Recommendation 3: Create system alerts to notify employees when multiple Modernized Development Worksheets (MDW) requests are created for the same issue for the same beneficiary.

Open

Open. Work is underway in the Technician Experience Dashboard to display current MDW data and enhance visibility. Broader discussions continue around improving the efficiency of MDW routing and future integration possibilities. We expect to implement these improvements in FY 2026.

09/21/2023

Recommendation 1: Correct the 33 cases with improper payments in accordance with SSA policy.

Open

Open. We expect to complete action on the cases by the end of FY 2025.

09/21/2023

Recommendation 2: Correct the 45 cases without improper payments per SSA policy.

Open

Open. We expect to complete action on the cases by the end of FY 2025.

09/21/2023

Recommendation 4: Correct the 12 cases with large, alleged lump-sum settlements in line with SSA policy.

Open

Open. We expect to complete action on the cases by the end of FY 2025.

09/21/2023

Recommendation 7: Provide training based on workload deficiencies identified in WC Quality Today MI.

Open

Open. We expect to complete training by the end of FY 2025.

09/25/2023

Recommendation 5: Improve systems to ensure SBC payments to DI beneficiaries and auxiliary beneficiaries are stopped in accordance with applicable statutes, regulations, and policy.

Open

Open. We are vetting possible policy solutions with internal stakeholders. We anticipate implementation by the end of FY 2025.

09/26/2023

Recommendation 2: Take appropriate action (for example, conduct additional training, update policy and user guides, send emergency messages) to ensure employees process earnings adjustments in accordance with policy.

Open

Open. We created new processing guides and launched a full-scale effort to retrain technicians in the earnings adjustment process. We expect to complete implementation of this recommendation by the end of FY 2025.

09/27/2023

Recommendation 2: Implement two new alerts to identify OASDI benefits being withheld pending a windfall offset determination over 12 months that do not have a WOD line on the MBR.

Open

Open. We are investigating the feasibility of possible solutions for this recommendation. We expect implementation by the end of FY 2025.

09/29/2023

Recommendation 1: Take corrective action for the 135 allegations we identified in all three samples of our audit.

Open

Open. We plan to release cases to the regions in FY 2025. We expect to complete our actions on the cases by the end of FY 2026.

09/29/2023

Recommendation 2: Based on the results of its actions taken for sample allegations, take corrective action for the remaining population of 14,777 beneficiaries whose allegations were still pending.

Open

Open. We plan to release cases to the regions in FY 2025. We expect to complete our actions on the cases by the end of FY 2026.

09/29/2023

Recommendation 5: Establish a process to periodically follow up on the recovery of organizational payee overpayments established in the Social Security Online Accounting and Reporting System to ensure employees take additional action to recover misused benefits.

Open

Open. We are preparing next steps to implement this recommendation. We expect to complete necessary actions by the end of FY 2026.

07/31/2023

Recommendation 1: Use the death information already in its records to input death information on 2.5 million numberholders’ Numident records.

Open. OIG disagrees with closing this recommendation because not recording death dates for these 2.5 million individuals on the Numident excludes their death information from the Death Master File.

We disagreed in our response to OIG’s draft report. We determined that the cases noted in this recommendation do not meet our criteria for adding death information to the Numident. Following OIG’s prior audits, we added death information to over 2.7 million Numidents through the Continuing Death Data Improvement (CDDI) project. To reduce the risk of recording incorrect death information on the Numident, we established stringent screening criteria to select records for inclusion in the CDDI project. While we remain focused on preventing improper payments and improving our death information, we must balance our limited resources and ensure the integrity of our records.

Note: The information above reflects the agency’s position in 2025; however, we have since reconsidered, and we are actively adding historical death information to the Numident records of deceased nonbeneficiaries.

09/18/2023

Recommendation 2: Implement controls to ensure employees take all actions requested before they close MDWs.

Open. OIG asserts that our quality review processes did not effectively prevent employees from closing MDWs without taking the actions requested, which led to delayed service and payments for SSA customers.

We disagreed in our response to OIG’s draft report. Our existing quality review sampling processes ensure work is completed appropriately, provide direct feedback to technicians about errors, and track error trends to help managers identify necessary intervention and training needs.

09/21/2023

Recommendation 9: Review the 193,950 workers’ compensation cases in our population to identify and correct the estimated 151,281 cases with errors.

Open. OIG believes their estimates are accurate and that it would be a worthwhile use of our resources to review the 151,281 cases.

We disagreed in our response to OIG’s draft report. Considering the complexity and manual nature of the worker’s compensation offset workload and the fact that OIG only reviewed a small sample of cases, we could not justify the resources to undertake review of over 150,000 cases without conclusive evidence that they have errors.

09/26/2023

Recommendation 3: Delete all disclaimed self-employment income for Tax Years 2012

Open. OIG disagrees with the assertion that SSA has no basis to presume that disclaimed self-

We disagreed in our response to OIG’s draft report. As OIG only reviewed a small sample of

through 2019 that remain in the earnings suspense file (ESF) unless the earnings were reported with a name that clearly differs from that on the earnings record to which they were originally posted.

employment income (SEI) should be deleted from the ESF.

SEI disclaimed during the period 2012 to 2019, it is not appropriate for us to take the recommended action. Further, there is no basis to presume that disclaimed SEI should be deleted from the ESF until IRS tells us that SEI reported on a tax return is fraudulent or otherwise requires correction.