For those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the short answer is yes, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can check your bank accounts because you have to give them permission to do so.
Although there are no rules on what you have to spend your SSI benefits on, it is best practice to spend your SSI benefits to meet your basic personal needs first, before you spend money on any other expenses. This can include housing and utility costs, food, clothing, and personal care items.
As a representative payee, you're responsible for keeping records and reporting on how you spend the benefits by completing a Representative Payee Report (Form SSA-623, SSA-6230, or SSA-6233). We'll mail the proper form to you once a year.
Does the Government Monitor SSDI Spending. Legally speaking, you can spend your SSDI money on whatever you want. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are paid from payroll tax funds and the amount you earn in benefits is based on what you paid through your individual payroll taxes.
It does not scrutinize or restrict specific items or transactions. Therefore, beneficiaries can use their SSI funds for various purchases according to their personal needs and preferences.
If you're receiving disability benefits, there's always the possibility that the Social Security Agency will monitor you. Yes, you read that right. The SSA does conduct surveillance activities on their beneficiaries.
Misuse of benefits occurs when the payee neither uses the benefits for the current and foreseeable needs of the beneficiary, nor conserves benefits for the beneficiary.
We will consider that payments we certify to a representive payee have been used for the use and benefit of the beneficiary if they are used for the beneficiary's current maintenance. Current maintenance includes costs incurred in obtaining food, shelter, clothing, medical care and personal comfort items.
If the value of your resources that we count is over the allowable limit at the beginning of the month, you cannot receive SSI for that month. If you decide to sell the excess resources for what they are worth, you may receive SSI beginning the month after you sell the excess resources.
Where the overpayment is $2,000 or less and you file a request for reconsideration or waiver, Social Security will waive any collection of the over-payment (unless you were at fault in creating the overpayment). This is known as the SSI $1,000 Rule.
It is important to keep receipts, bank statements, and maintain an expense record for at least two years as verification of expenditures.
To get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, things you own that we count must be worth $2,000 or less for an individual, or $3,000 or less for a couple.
What are the signs that Social Security is investigating you? Signs may include increased communication from the SSA, requests for documentation, discrepancies in records, monitoring of changes in your circumstances, patterns of claims, interviews or home visits, and suspicious activity reports.
Generally, the more countable income you have, the less your SSI benefit will be. If your countable income is over the allowable limit, you cannot receive SSI benefits.
The law requires us to perform a medical CDR at least once every three years, however, if you have a medical condition that is not expected to improve, we will still review your case, once every five to seven years.
To get SSI, your countable resources must not be worth more than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. We call this the resource limit. Countable resources are the things you own that count toward the resource limit. Many things you own do not count.
If an eligible individual lives with another person and they are not married or are not representing themselves as husband or wife, the eligible individual's SSI benefit is determined without considering the income from the other person.
Under the SSA rules, you are allowed to own one vehicle without it counting as one of your resources. The SSA is not concerned with the value of the vehicle.
Exit from the SSI program can be due to death, medical recovery, excess income (earned or unearned), excess resources, or a change in living arrangements.
Social Security does not normally review the actual transactions unless there is some reason to suspect that they may affect his eligibility.
CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR FALSE STATEMENTS
shall be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. (b) For civil monetary penalties for certain submissions of false claims, see section 1128A of this Act.
Generally, CDI units investigate suspected fraud before the agency awards benefits, and support the Continuing Disability Review and redetermination processes when fraud may be involved. CDI investigations typically begin with a report of suspected fraud from SSA, State DDS, law enforcement, or the public.
Understanding Social Media Monitoring by the Social Security Administration. The SSA may review applicants' social media activity to help verify the information provided on the application. They want to make sure the evidence provided matches the words and images on your social media profiles.
The law requires that we review your case from time to time to verify that you are still disabled. Generally, if your health hasn't improved, or if your disability still keeps you from working, you'll continue to receive your benefits.