SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

The Social Security Handbook says, “The basic purpose of SSI is to assure a limited level of income to people who are aged, blind, or disabled, and have limited income and resources.” Although many children suffer from significant childhood illnesses or impairments, administering monetary benefits to a child who has not reached the legal working age in an effort to “supplement” his/her household income seems illogical.... more »

Currently hard-working Americans who pay Social Security taxes have a cap on the maximum payable to their family. But a family receiving SSI payments can receive an unlimited amount of monthly payments because there is no cap on payments to households with children receiving SSI. I know of cases where SSI families receive much more than the maximum paid to tax-paying Social Security beneficiaries. This seems patently... more »

There is too much fraud related to getting social security and disability benefits. For someone to receive any one of these benefits, the paperwork should be notarized and submitted with a fraud disclaimer indicating that if the information is falsified, criminal punishment will occur. This should also be signed by any doctor or educator that indicates that a person cannot work or learn due to a disability. If the... more »

One of the largest waste of money in SSA is the SSI program. This program only encourages the majority of people to be dishonest and work under the table. We could save 100's of millions of dollars each and every year if we eliminate this program. Especially for children. The only type of SSI should be for aged individuals who were not insured enough to meet the basic cost of living.

Supplemental Security Income benefits should be automatically stopped when a person enters an Assisted Living or Nursing Home facility by requiring that the facility automatically notify the Social Security Administration that this person is no longer eligible for SSI benefits. This would eliminate erroneous payments as the person’s family may have no idea that these payments should have been stopped until they are notified... more »

There are billions of dollars that were turned over to the 50 States by Banks, Employers, Insurance companies, Stock companies, etc. all belonging to millions of Americans who forgot they had this money. Match the Federal records (SSN's) of anyone receiving any Federal benefits (SSA, SSI, VA, Medicaid, Food Stamps, etc.), against those of the 50 States holding this Unclaimed Property we could reunite people with billions... more »

Provide some means for carrying IRS Income Tax Returns forward from one year to the next for people who are on Social Security and/or SSI. When a person’s address and source of income has not changed the government should be able to produce the Tax Return and let the individual verify the new amounts by simply signing the form.

Provide some means for carrying HUD Rental Assistance paperwork forward from one year to the next for people who are on Social Security and/or SSI. When a person’s address and source of income has not changed the government should be able to the Rental Assistance paperwork and let the individual verify the new amounts by simply signing the form.

Individuals receiving unemployment must certify weekly that they are ready, willing and able to work. This means they are able to work and therefore NOT disabled.

Institute a family maximum for SSI beneficiaries. I have seen several occassions where 5 or more family members receive a monthly SSI check enabling that family income to exceed Social Security disability family maimums

Both SSI and Social Security disability work incentives are confusing and overly complicated. It is a frequent source of overpayment in both programs.

We currently have an interface with IRS that reports quarterly wages. We should automatically use connect this information to disability recipients. If someone has 3 quarters of SGA level work, suspend their payments and send them a notice that they need to begin reporting... more »

Currently a Social Security disability beneficiary will have their benefits suspended after engaging in substantial gainful activity for a specified period. Supplemental Security Income recipients can continue enagaing in SGA and never have their disability ceased. In fact, beneficiaries who receive both programs can have their SS disability ceased and their SSI increased rather than also being terminated. SSI rules... more »

There are several Federal entitlement programs with overlapping and sometimes duplicative benefits. Yet dual benefits continue because there is a lack of independent verification when someone receives benefits from multiple programs. For instance, SSDI benefits are supposed to be reduced if the beneficiary is also receiving workers' compensation payments. Yet there is little or no information available to either program... more »

The idea is simple. Currently we have children getting SSI benfits for ridiculous purposes such as ADHD. Eliminate benefits to any child that is not legal working age for the respective state they live in. Only loophole being is if it's a serious condition the would keep a parent from working i.e, MSD, etc.

ssa currently is obligated to accept, when a beneficiary has proven limited income and resources, repayments at rates as little as $10.00 per month on overpayments as large as $20000.00 or more. It is a joke. We are discouraged from suggesting settlements, even though the possibitity of recouping $6000.00 from a 50 year old is slim to none by the time he is deceased. why don't we either raise that absurd limit or push... more »