At least some of the blame belongs to the Social Security Administration, which according to an audit by the agency’s inspector general, has been derelict in investigating fraud. But the lion’s share of responsibility belongs to parents with no qualms about abusing the system, in some cases coaching their children to pretend to be disabled, in order to get benefits.
One of the worst offenders, according to Atlanta station WSB, is a man receiving $77,000 a year, claiming disabilities for all eight of his kids, at least some of whom are perfectly healthy. Another contender for the title of Most Flagrant Abuser is a woman who claimed her niece was unable to read, write, or count. In fact, the child’s school said that the girl not only wasn’t in special education but is actually excelling in math.
The source of the “free cash” is, of course, the hard-working taxpayer. Brandon Arnold, of the National Taxpayers Union, is quoted as saying:
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
If we are issuing these payments, we need to make sure they’re going to people who actually need them and not people who are abusing the system.
Because the cash reserve, though large, is limited, Arnold notes, “There are going to be children who might never talk, who might not ever have access to services, because someone is lying,”
In response to the audit, the Social Security Administration points the finger of blame at Congress, which the agency maintains has not given it enough money to complete timely reviews.
Sounds familiar, no?
