In 1997, the General Accounting Office included the SSI program in its list of high-risk programs because of increased overpayments and internal control weaknesses that left the program susceptible to fraud, waste, and abuse. SSA faces numerous complexities when ensuring the integrity of SSI. Beneficiaries’ continuing eligibility and payment amount depend on circumstances that may change from month to month. Each month, SSA must consider beneficiaries’ income, resources, and living arrangements to determine if they are still eligible and what their payment amount should be. The timing of benefit payments makes accuracy even more difficult.
The Board has made recommendations on many facets of maintaining SSI program integrity. An ongoing commitment to future technologies will enhance customer experience. A reliable funding source for redeterminations and Continuing Disability Reviews is essential to improving SSA’s stewardship of the SSI program. Lastly, the Board recommends program simplification and a study of the SSI population to provide information on how SSA could improve beneficiary reporting.
The Statement is included in SSA’s 2009 Annual Report on the SSI Program. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 gives Board members the opportunity, individually or jointly, to include their views on SSI in SSA’s annual report to the President and Congress on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The Board or one of its members has submitted a statement every year since 1998, except for 2024 due to the lack of a quorum.