Social Security Administration (SSA) staff members made an estimated $2.2 million in ‘misdirected’ payments, according to a Sept. 8 audit report from the agency’s independent Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Earlier, SSA allowed beneficiaries to update their direct deposit payment file via phone, with the caller confirming identity by sharing personally identifiable information stored with the agency, the report said.
OIG looked at direct deposit information of 3,109 beneficiaries that was updated by the SSA’s 800-number staff between October and December 2023. Some recipients reported that they had not gotten their payments, the OIG said.
Out of the 3,109 beneficiaries, approximately 1,197 beneficiary payments, worth $2.2 million, were found to be misdirected because the “800-number staff initiated unauthorized direct deposit changes,” the report said….