89K Stimulus Payments Sent By Mistake

The Social Security Administration sent approximately 89,000 stimulus payments of $250 each to the dead and incarcerated people, a government investigator says in a new report.  The payments, which were part of last year’s massive economic recovery package, were mean to increase consumer spending to help stimulate the economy, says Stephen Ohlemacher of the Associated Press .

An estimated $18 million went to nearly 72,000 people who were dead, according to the report by the Social Security Administration’s inspector general.  They also estimated that little more than half of those payments were returned.  An additional $4.3 million went to more than 17,000 inmates, and the shocking thing is, most of them were eligible to get the payments because they were incarcerated and had been receiving Social Security before they were sentenced.  More help for the lowlifes in our society.  I am sure the ACLU is jumping for joy over that one.  I’m sure they will use that money after their “rehabilitation.” 

The $250 payments were sent to about 52 million people who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, which came to a rough estimate of $13 billion.  Mark Lassiter, a spokesman from the Social Security Administration stated, “Inaccurate payments are unacceptable.  Social Security’s Recovery Act payments were 99.8 percent accurate and we quickly collected the majority of the inaccurate payments.  Each year, we make payments to a small number of deceased recipients usually because we have not yet received reports of their deaths.”  Mr. Lassiter, 99.8 percent is a very impressive total; however, you are only speaking on the recent stimulus payments.  If this is only .2%, can you imagine if you add all the .2 percentages together?  I am sure the mistakes are astronomical as well as unaccounted for.   

The inspector general for the Social Security Administration is conducting an audit due to the miscalculation. The latest report was dated Sept. 24^th. Mr. Lassiter, how is it that you have stated a 99.8 percent accuracy of an incident that hasn’t been fully investigated? This is absolutely absurd! Is there no end to the greatest Ponzi scheme in United States history?

During any one of the three months before the law was passed in February 2009, people were eligible for payments while getting other benefits. The Associated Press also stated that dead people were ineligible to get the payments. I would hope not, sir. However, there was a stipulation found when it was discovered that there is no provision in the law to recover payments incorrectly sent to dead people. Funny, nowhere does it state that beneficiaries were entitled to the checks. Then again, it doesn’t say they can’t. Is this also a “margin of error,” Mr. Lassiter?

Senator Tim Coburn of Oklahoma stated, “Based on the failure of the SSA to properly check its records, and Congress’ failure to fully think through the provisions needed to govern these payments, SSA lost $22.3 million in American tax dollars. These findings are yet another example of congressional stupidity and a lack of accountability.” Senator Coburn, your words are highly heard, however, your credibility is limited due to your scandal involving John Ensign’s extramarital affair. It’s just another politician trying to recover themselves.

The Social Security Administration continued to back up their 99.8 percent of accurately processing 52 million stimulus payments. An excerpt from the inspector general’s post stated, “We worked with the Treasury, developed new processes and began issuing (payments) about 30 days earlier than the legislatively mandated deadline. This was a major accomplishment for our agency.” Where in their minds is this a “major accomplishment?” The inspector general’s report said that if similar payments are authorized in the future, prison inmates should be ineligible and the government should be able to recover payments made to dead people. Once again, we the citizens of this country are the mark of ignorance because someone thinks that “improving” workforce is not paying more workers to make sure the information is accurate. They justify themselves because they think they saved the administration more money for not using the manpower necessary to generate a realistic accurate report. The error is now more expensive than to have hired the manpower and we pay the piper. Automated machines have cost job opportunities in the SSA. They could have hired 100 GS-5 have to process the paperwork, which would have only cost the SSA $2.5 million. You would have more accountability, responsibility and surprisingly, a more accurate report. Making jobs happen. What a concept!

I ask you, inspector general, to not just audit the mistakes now, but the mistakes since 1935 and the biggest mistake in 1994 when President Bill Clinton signed a law returning your administration to a status of an independent agency in the executive branch of government. Can you imagine the inaccuracies with interest?