Recently, a 32-year old Kansas City man named Tyrone Holman was charged with obstructing the federal proceedings of his SSI application process. Holmes left threatening messages in the voicemail box of his assigned psychologist, whom he had been scheduled to meet for a required psychological evaluation. He ranted that his murder of his brother in 2006 was actually the psychologist’s fault because Holmes had previously not been found eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, and threatened legal action, demanding compensation for his years spent in prison. Needless to say, the psychologist turned him in and now Holman is facing up to 5 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines. Some speculate that this desperate man was trying to persuade the psychologist to diagnose him as being mentally unstable so he could be approved for SSI.
Aggressors like Holman make the Social Security Disability process a nightmare for SSA workers and applicants alike. In this case, Holman’s actions were blatant and obviously bent on dishonestly achieving the goal of receiving SSI benefits. There was no way he wasn’t getting caught. But there are many others whose methods aren’t as crazy, but just as desperate and illegal. Every year, there are thousands of cases of disability fraud that are discovered, but people continue to try to cheat the system. Whether by inaccurate medical records, lying, or other deceitful means, people are getting away with taxpayers’ hard-earned contributions while legitimately disabled individuals are waiting to be approved.
This is one of the factors that contributes to the SSA’s already slow and bogged down application process. Many people who apply for benefits have no business doing so and create a longer wait for those who have legitimate disabilities. The complicated process itself catches many of those who contradict themselves at some point, but there are also many enjoying benefits right now that are complete frauds, collecting disability benefits payments and working on the side, or living a life of leisure in spite of being fully capable of getting a job.
The government is doing all it can to catch these criminals in the act and force them to pay for their illegally gained benefits, but there are still ways for people to commit disability fraud and get away with it. Meanwhile, the Social Security Administration will continue to be plagued with higher payroll costs and a backlog of cases as it sorts through both the honest and the dishonest in the hopes of choosing the right one.
