Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)

High-priority program

Home > Agencies & Programs > Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)

Program level Payment Integrity results

Sponsoring agency: Social Security Administration

The OASDI program provides monthly benefits to qualified individuals who are retired or disabled, dependents of eligible beneficiaries, and surviving dependents of deceased workers. We maintain high payment accuracy rates in our OASDI program and are working to do even better. Improper payments (overpayments and underpayments) result from 1) beneficiaries’ failure to report required information to the agency and 2) the agency not taking timely and appropriate action. We are addressing these challenges by promoting timely wage reporting, automating wage reports from payroll information exchanges, and offering a service for customers to electronically submit certain technician-requested evidence and forms.

View on Federal Program Inventory

PROGRAM METRICS

$1,078,782 M

in FY 2021 outlays, with a

99.8%

payment accuracy rate

PROGRAM METRICS

$1,127,519 M

in FY 2022 outlays, with a

99.8%

payment accuracy rate

PROGRAM METRICS

$1,269,615 M

in FY 2023 outlays, with a

99.3%

payment accuracy rate

PROGRAM METRICS

$1,352,426 M

in FY 2024 outlays, with a

99.7%

payment accuracy rate

PROGRAM METRICS

$1,287,479 M

in FY 2025 outlays, with a

99.9%

payment accuracy rate

  • Improper payment estimates over time
    View as:

    Chart toggle amounts:
    Proper payments
    Overpayment
    Underpayment
    Technically improper
    Unknown

Payment Integrity results

  • FY 2021 improper payment estimates

    Chart legend and breakdown

    Payment accuracy rate

    Improper payment rate

    Unknown payment rate


    Sampling & estimation methodology details

    Sampling timeframe:

    10/2019 - 09/2020


    Confidence interval:

    >95%


    Margin of error:

    +/-0.18

Overpayments

Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments within the agency's control $546.35 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $546.35 M

Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments outside the agency's control $1,267.21 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $1,267.21 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M

Underpayments

Underpayment root cause Underpayment amount
Amount of underpayments $693.86 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $32.24 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $661.62 M

Technically improper payments

The amount of improper payments that were paid to the right recipient for the correct amount but were considered technically improper because of failure to follow statute or regulation $0.0 M

Additional information

$693.86 M

Unknown Payment Details

Evaluation of corrective actions

We remain focused on our strategic objectives and agency goals to ensure stewardship and improve program integrity by reducing improper payments. We monitor and evaluate existing initiatives and developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of improper payments. These efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. The purpose of this effort is to strategically align agency wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments.

We continue to identify and measure the root causes of improper payments. We are documenting corrective actions in multiple Improper Payment Alignment Strategies (IPAS). We are developing a framework to establish measurements and benchmarks to evaluate the completed corrective actions within the IPASs. We will continue to look for innovative ways to glean information to measure the effectiveness of existing corrective actions, where feasible. It is a challenging process to isolate the impact of a single corrective action.

Future payment integrity outlook

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) has established a baseline.

Out-Year improper payment and unknown payment projections and target
Current year +1 estimated future outlays $1,124,411.9 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payments $4,497.65 M
Current year +1 estimated future unknown payments $0 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment rate 0.4 %

The program's current year improper payment and unknown payment rate of 0.23 % has been achieved with a balance of payment integrity risk and controls and represents the lowest rate that can be achieved without disproportionally increasing another risk, therefore it is the tolerable rate.

Internal Controls: We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. We directly leverage our existing internal control environment and assurance processes to provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board, consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide.

Human Capital: Our program integrity work is labor-intensive and dependent on having the necessary trained staff to do the work. For the most part, our employees who handle our program integrity work also handle applications for benefits and other mission-critical work.

Information Systems: Our staff rely on our information technology (IT) infrastructure to serve the public and safeguard our programs.

We initiated our IT Modernization Plan, in fiscal year (FY) 2018 to improve our service to the public. We will advance our IT infrastructure with 21st century technology and implement the technical flexibility necessary to adapt to future demands. In FY 2020, we increased the scope to include adding online services, improving and expanding automated services available through our National 800 Number, and providing additional self-service and express services in our field offices. To achieve our modernization goals, we are investing $863 million over 5 years, including the $415 million that Congress provided in dedicated IT modernization funding in FYs 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Other Infrastructure: We emphasize the importance of information security through continual operational refinement and the maturation of security components that exceed the standards set forth by Government regulations. In FY 2021, we continued to align our agency cybersecurity priorities with agency strategic objectives and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to identify, detect, and stop fraudulent transactions before they occur. Continued alignment with the CSF will infuse practices from Federal initiatives including the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) High Value Asset program, and DHS’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program. We will continue to streamline and modernize the existing Comprehensive Integrity Review Program business process. The revised process will use innovative technologies such as big data and predictive analytic tools to identify, detect, and stop fraudulent programmatic transactions before they occur.

Additional programmatic information

  • FY 2022 improper payment estimates

    Chart legend and breakdown

    Payment accuracy rate

    Improper payment rate

    Unknown payment rate


    Sampling & estimation methodology details

    Sampling timeframe:

    10/2020 - 09/2021


    Confidence interval:

    95% to <100%


    Margin of error:

    +/-0.17

Overpayments

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments within the agency’s control occur when the beneficiary or third-party provided data/information that we requested and was necessary to accurately compute the benefit amount, but we failed to use the data/information needed to validate the payment accuracy prior to making a payment.
Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments within the agency's control $1,523.29 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $1,523.29 M

Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments outside the agency's control $448.97 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $448.97 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M

Underpayments

Underpayment root cause Underpayment amount
Amount of underpayments $518.72 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $49.38 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $469.34 M

Technically improper payments

The amount of improper payments that were paid to the right recipient for the correct amount but were considered technically improper because of failure to follow statute or regulation $0.0 M

Additional information

$518.72 M

Unknown Payment Details

Evaluation of corrective actions

We remain focused on our strategic objectives and agency goals to ensure stewardship and improve program integrity by reducing improper payments. We monitor and evaluate existing initiatives and developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of leading causes of improper payments. These efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. The purpose of this effort is to strategically align agency wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments.

We identify and measure the root causes of improper payments. We are documenting corrective actions in multiple Improper Payment Alignment Strategies (IPAS). We developed a framework to establish measurements and benchmarks to evaluate the completed corrective actions within the IPASs. In fiscal year 2022, we completed evaluations on three of the IPASs. We will continue to look for innovative ways to glean information to measure the effectiveness of existing corrective actions, where feasible. It is a challenging process to isolate the impact of a single corrective action.

Future payment integrity outlook

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) has established a baseline.

We have been maintaining a high payment accuracy rate and meeting our reduction target for improper payments for the last three consecutive years. We strive to pay the right person, the right amount at the right time to reduce improper payments. We have centralized the coordination and monitoring of agency-wide improper payment initiatives. We implemented the Improper Payments Alignment Strategies to focus on our corrective actions to address the root causes of leading causes of improper payments.

Out-Year improper payment and unknown payment projections and target
Current year +1 estimated future outlays $1,204,515.34 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payments $4,818.06 M
Current year +1 estimated future unknown payments $0 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment rate 0.4 %
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment reduction target 0.4 %

The program's current year improper payment and unknown payment rate of 0.22 % has been achieved with a balance of payment integrity risk and controls and represents the lowest rate that can be achieved without disproportionally increasing another risk, therefore it is the tolerable rate.

In October 2021, the Office of Management and Budget published the Tolerable Improper Payment Rate guide. We have been in discussions regarding the tolerable rate for the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program while referencing the Tolerable Improper Payment Rate guide. Therefore, our response is subject to change regarding achieving tolerable rate. Overall, our OASDI program has very high payment accuracy. The OASDI overpayment and underpayment accuracy rates, both separately and combined, have exceeded 99 percent for several years. While we strive to reduce improper payments, outcomes must be significant to affect our error rate; for fiscal year 2021 each tenth of a percentage point in payment accuracy represented about $1,128 million in OASDI program payments.

Internal Controls: We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. Our existing internal control environment and assurance processes provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board, consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide.

Human Capital: Our program integrity work is labor-intensive and dependent on having the necessary trained staff to do the work. For the most part, our employees who handle our program integrity work also handle applications for benefits and other mission-critical work.

Information Systems: Our staff rely on our information technology (IT) infrastructure to serve the public and safeguard our programs.
We initiated our IT Modernization Plan in fiscal year (FY) 2018 to improve our service to the public. Over the past decade, we have phased out many of our older computer systems and aligned our IT infrastructure with industry and government-wide standards, while continuing to meet the evolving needs of our customers. In FY 2020, we increased the scope to include building online services, improving and expanding automated services available through our National 800 Number, and providing additional self-service and express services in our field offices. To achieve our modernization goals, we are investing $863 million over 5 years, including the $415 million that Congress provided in dedicated IT modernization funding in FYs 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

In FY 2022, we plan to close out our IT modernization efforts outlined in the IT Modernization Plan. We will continue to build upon our modernization efforts with a focus on digital modernization and efforts that enable technology to provide tangible benefits to our customers.

Other Infrastructure: Cybersecurity is vital to protecting the personally identifiable information of everyone we serve. Maintaining the public’s trust in our ability to protect sensitive data housed in our systems requires advanced cybersecurity controls, constant assessment of the threat landscape, and continual improvements and enhancements of our cybersecurity program. Our cybersecurity program uses a risk-based approach to balance protection and productivity and focuses on continuous improvement. We are expanding our cybersecurity program in support of Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum 22-09, Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles. In addition, we are strengthening our digital identity processes to comply with the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act.

Our cybersecurity efforts help us to maintain our vigilance and protect against network intrusions and improper access of data by strengthening our defensive cyber capabilities, sharing cyber threat information with our Federal and industry partners, and moving toward a Zero Trust Architecture that focuses on the secure flow of information from the network perimeter across the enterprise.

The fiscal year 2023 President’s Budget included resources for internal controls to maintain our level of improper payments. As part of our stewardship responsibilities and our efforts to reduce improper payments, we also requested funding for program integrity activities. Many of the tools we use, such as our medical Continuing Disability Reviews, work Continuing Disability Reviews, and the Cooperative Disability Investigations program, save billions of program dollars with a proportionally small investment of administrative resources.

Additional programmatic information

We have no additional program level payment integrity related information to provide.

  • FY 2023 improper payment estimates

    Chart legend and breakdown

    Payment accuracy rate

    Improper payment rate

    Unknown payment rate


    Sampling & estimation methodology details

    Sampling timeframe:

    10/2021 - 09/2022


    Confidence interval:

    95% to <100%


    Margin of error:

    +/-0.65

  • Actions taken & planned to mitigate improper payments

    Mitigation strategy Description of the corrective action Completion date Status
    Audit
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed a Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Corrective Action Plan. We developed a comprehensive corrective action plan to address multiple underlying causes of WEP and GPO improper payments. We formed a cross agency work group to review all Office of the Inspector General and internal studies to compile a comprehensive list of recommended changes in WEP and GPO implementation. We assessed the root causes of improper payments based on these changes and developed policy, data, systems, and training solutions in line with each of the root causes of improper payments. We developed a logic model framework to measure the effectiveness of completed corrective action that includes establishing benchmarks to evaluate the corrective actions, assessing the impact, if possible, and determining whether additional mitigation activities are necessary. Since FY 2017, there has been a significant reduction in improper payments related to WEP and GPO. In July 2023, the WEP/GPO calculator was added to the redesigned SSA.gov website. However, we continue to assert that the complexity of our program makes it extremely challenging to isolate the effects of a particular corrective action.
    FY2023 Q4
    Completed
    Automation
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing a Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE) application. CCE will be a single-entry point for employees to process all agency benefits. CCE includes eligibility screening, initial claims intake processing and post-entitlement activities. CCE will automate more computations, reduce manual actions, assist in the identification of potential or missed entitlements, and include dynamic pathing and policy references within the application. Currently, only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available in CCE with additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Title 18) to be added in future releases. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, we released several CCE updates in the SSI program to improve the system. In FY 2024, we will release several additional CCE enhancements in the SSI program and continue efforts to expand on additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Medicare) for future increments. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing the Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Product. The CDR Product is a project to streamline the continuing disability review process, increase efficiencies, and reduce improper payments for work CDRs. The multifaceted product is comprised of four separate workstreams, across several component business and systems sponsors. In addition to work CDRs, the Product aims to modernize the medical CDR process with the addition of online service options and reduce paper case processing by automating current Electronic Disability Collect System exclusions. In February 2023, CDR product released the i454 which allows adult beneficiaries with an online option to file the SSA-454 or a Medical CDR Report. When the customer uses this online version, the technician's process is streamlined and allows for quicker processing. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, we plan to release Multiple Pending Claim functionality to the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS) that will reduce the reliance on paper processing. and plan to make the eWork system Multi-Factor Authentication compliant. We are currently beginning the development of a modernized version of eWork which will eventually be integrated into the existing EDCS application and will make EDCS available for field office technicians. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED). TED is our enterprise customer relationship management solution that will provide a single location for information about our customers’ interactions with the agency to make it easier for our employees to help the public and increases efficiency and accuracy, improving the overall customer experience. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, TED added Registration and Customer Support, Upload Document workflows, and made general improvements to the application. In June 2023, TED became available for use in the Boston region. We plan to expand TED to the remaining regions in FY 2024. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed processes using UIPath software. In fiscal year (FY) 2021, we pursued a contract with UIPath software, to create automated “robotic” programs that will perform routine or repetitive tasks. Robotic Processing Automation (RPA), or “BOTs,” are available to Processing Center technicians to assist with processing manual awards or post-entitlement actions. Since January 2021, six BOTs have been created and placed into production. Use of the BOTs reduces keystrokes and manual coding and detects exceptions and alerts before they occur. In FY 2024, we plan to enhance the existing RPA scripts and begin development and implementation of a series of BOTs that will automate computations and input of complex and error prone windfall offset payments. We are making a long-term investment in robotics technology using the software to improve business processes and eliminate manual actions. To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we developed a tool to submit and sign documents electronically. In July 2023, we released the Upload Documents service into production and in September 2023 we added the electronic signature feature, which addresses the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government. We plan to expand Upload Documents to the all field offices in fiscal year 2024 and will continue to expand the types of documents that can be uploaded and signed electronically.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Behavioral/Psych Influence
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we inform Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries about their reporting responsibilities. Section 826 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 required the Commissioner to establish and implement a system permitting DI beneficiaries to report their earnings electronically. Our myWageReport (myWR) online application, allows DI beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, concurrent beneficiaries, and representative payees to report wages and view, print, or save a receipt. DI self-reporters and their representative payees can report wages that occurred within a two-year timeframe from the reporting date. We promote use of our online wage reporting application, myWageReport (myWR), on social media with training videos depicting three reporting options: my Social Security, SSA Mobile Wage Reporting, and SSI Telephone Wage Reporting. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we are working to simplifying our notices. Although we made efforts to simplify notices, some of our notices and communications can be complex, lengthy, and difficult to comprehend. The difficulty can sometimes result from the complexity of our programs and legal requirements to communicate certain information. We will sample notices and other communications and assess the quality and understandability of our communications. We will inform and remind beneficiaries about reporting responsibilities.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Training
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Cross Enterprise Sharing
    To address improper payments caused by data or information needed does not exist and inability to access the data or information needed, we will pursue new data exchange partners from government and private sectors in collaboration with our agency business sponsors. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the Data Exchange Community of Practice and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are improving our death data processing. We collect data from a variety of sources so that we can administer our programs. We plan to continue making progress in centralizing our death inputs, improving the quality and processing of death data, and updating historical death records in our databases. In November 2022, for processing death reports, we issued a reminder to technicians on which records to review and how to determine if we already have proof of death. The reminder also instructs technicians to monitor payment records after entering a date of death. To improve the completeness of our death information, we are in the early stages of contracting with the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems on the acquisition of historical State death records. This effort will increase the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of our death data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed a data exchange for the Federal Employment Compensation Act Data. The Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) workers’ compensation program, which is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), provides coverage to three million Federal and Postal workers. Receipt of FECA benefits can offset Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits. SSA and DOL have agreed to move forward with our request for DOL FECA data. We are working to finalize the agreement for DOL to provide FECA payment data to assist us in our offset requirements. We expect the exchange to be completed in fiscal year 2024. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, and to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages, we are developing new wage reporting tools, such as an information exchange with commercial payroll data providers authorized by section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, now referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). We have completed several phases of pre-implementation development and are drafting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with our regulations for the PIE process. We will conduct the exchange and automate PIE data after the final rule (regulation) is established. We will perform ongoing assessments while working towards full implementation.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Predictive Analytics
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries who are potentially entitled for higher Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments than their OASDI benefit. From March to August 2020, SSI applications decreased by 30 percent when compared to prior years. We analyzed a range of beneficiary characteristics to determine if any groups were disproportionately affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified a population of 1.4 million individuals who are currently receiving OASDI benefits that are less than the SSI federal benefit rate. Based on these findings, we mailed approximately 200,000 letters to beneficiaries potentially eligible for SSI, with a focus on the aged and limited English proficiency population. The preliminary mailing occurred December 2020–March 2021. We released the remaining 1.2 million mailers on a staggered schedule from June 2021–November 2021, pausing to avoid increased call months, and resumed the issuance of mailers from April 2022–December 2022. Beneficiaries who had an email registered with the agency also received an email. In October 2022, we mailed out more than 19,000 notices to beneficiaries receiving spousal benefits who may have sufficient earnings to be eligible for higher retirement benefits based on their own earnings. In December 2022, we issued a reminder to field office and payment center technicians on proper development of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. In April 2023, we mailed out almost 38,000 notices to surviving spouses who are potentially eligible for higher retirement benefits on their own records. We issued a reminder on instructions regarding the potential entitlement workload concerning disabled beneficiaries who are potentially eligible for widow(er)’s insurance benefits or disabled widow’s benefits. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries who are working and it may affect their eligibility to receive OASDI benefits. WorkSmart is a tool that identifies Disability Insurance beneficiaries whose earnings put them at risk for being overpaid. We created the WorkSmart project to reduce and prevent Improper Payments and complete work Continuing Disability Reviews more efficiently by identifying earnings earlier, identifying cases that have earnings above substantial gainful activity (SGA) and are still receiving benefits, and prioritizing cases that are most likely to end in an SGA cessation. This helps prevent beneficiaries from building overpayment debts.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Automation
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing a Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE) application. CCE will be a single-entry point for employees to process all agency benefits. CCE includes eligibility screening, initial claims intake processing and post-entitlement activities. CCE will automate more computations, reduce manual actions, assist in the identification of potential or missed entitlements, and include dynamic pathing and policy references within the application. Currently, only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available in CCE with additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Title 18) to be added in future releases. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, we released several CCE updates in the SSI program to improve the system. In FY 2024, we will release several additional CCE enhancements in the SSI program and continue efforts to expand on additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Medicare) for future increments. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing the Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Product. The CDR Product is a project to streamline the continuing disability review process, increase efficiencies, and reduce improper payments for work CDRs. The multifaceted product is comprised of four separate workstreams, across several component business and systems sponsors. In addition to work CDRs, the Product aims to modernize the medical CDR process with the addition of online service options and reduce paper case processing by automating current Electronic Disability Collect System exclusions. In February 2023, CDR product released the i454 which allows adult beneficiaries with an online option to file the SSA-454 or a Medical CDR Report. When the customer uses this online version, the technician's process is streamlined and allows for quicker processing. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, we plan to release Multiple Pending Claim functionality to the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS) that will reduce the reliance on paper processing. and plan to make the eWork system Multi-Factor Authentication compliant. We are currently beginning the development of a modernized version of eWork which will eventually be integrated into the existing EDCS application and will make EDCS available for field office technicians. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED). TED is our enterprise customer relationship management solution that will provide a single location for information about our customers’ interactions with the agency to make it easier for our employees to help the public and increases efficiency and accuracy, improving the overall customer experience. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, TED added Registration and Customer Support, Upload Document workflows, and made general improvements to the application. In June 2023, TED became available for use in the Boston region. We plan to expand TED to the remaining regions in FY 2024. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed processes using UIPath software. In fiscal year (FY) 2021, we pursued a contract with UIPath software, to create automated “robotic” programs that will perform routine or repetitive tasks. Robotic Processing Automation (RPA), or “BOTs,” are available to Processing Center technicians to assist with processing manual awards or post-entitlement actions. Since January 2021, six BOTs have been created and placed into production. Use of the BOTs reduces keystrokes and manual coding and detects exceptions and alerts before they occur. In FY 2024, we plan to enhance the existing RPA scripts and begin development and implementation of a series of BOTs that will automate computations and input of complex and error prone windfall offset payments. We are making a long-term investment in robotics technology using the software to improve business processes and eliminate manual actions. To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we developed a tool to submit and sign documents electronically. In July 2023, we released the Upload Documents service into production and in September 2023 we added the electronic signature feature, which addresses the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government. We plan to expand Upload Documents to the all field offices in fiscal year 2024 and will continue to expand the types of documents that can be uploaded and signed electronically.
    FY2027+
    Planned
    Behavioral/Psych Influence
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we inform Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries about their reporting responsibilities. Section 826 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 required the Commissioner to establish and implement a system permitting DI beneficiaries to report their earnings electronically. Our myWageReport (myWR) online application, allows DI beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, concurrent beneficiaries, and representative payees to report wages and view, print, or save a receipt. DI self-reporters and their representative payees can report wages that occurred within a two-year timeframe from the reporting date. We promote use of our online wage reporting application, myWageReport (myWR), on social media with training videos depicting three reporting options: my Social Security, SSA Mobile Wage Reporting, and SSI Telephone Wage Reporting. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we are working to simplifying our notices. Although we made efforts to simplify notices, some of our notices and communications can be complex, lengthy, and difficult to comprehend. The difficulty can sometimes result from the complexity of our programs and legal requirements to communicate certain information. We will sample notices and other communications and assess the quality and understandability of our communications. We will inform and remind beneficiaries about reporting responsibilities.
    FY2027+
    Planned
    Training
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed.
    FY2027+
    Planned
    Cross Enterprise Sharing
    To address improper payments caused by data or information needed does not exist and inability to access the data or information needed, we will pursue new data exchange partners from government and private sectors in collaboration with our agency business sponsors. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the Data Exchange Community of Practice and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are improving our death data processing. We collect data from a variety of sources so that we can administer our programs. We plan to continue making progress in centralizing our death inputs, improving the quality and processing of death data, and updating historical death records in our databases. In November 2022, for processing death reports, we issued a reminder to technicians on which records to review and how to determine if we already have proof of death. The reminder also instructs technicians to monitor payment records after entering a date of death. To improve the completeness of our death information, we are in the early stages of contracting with the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems on the acquisition of historical State death records. This effort will increase the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of our death data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed a data exchange for the Federal Employment Compensation Act Data. The Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) workers’ compensation program, which is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), provides coverage to three million Federal and Postal workers. Receipt of FECA benefits can offset Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits. SSA and DOL have agreed to move forward with our request for DOL FECA data. We are working to finalize the agreement for DOL to provide FECA payment data to assist us in our offset requirements. We expect the exchange to be completed in fiscal year 2024. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, and to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages, we are developing new wage reporting tools, such as an information exchange with commercial payroll data providers authorized by section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, now referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). We have completed several phases of pre-implementation development and are drafting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with our regulations for the PIE process. We will conduct the exchange and automate PIE data after the final rule (regulation) is established. We will perform ongoing assessments while working towards full implementation.
    FY2027+
    Planned
    Predictive Analytics
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries who are working and it may affect their eligibility to receive OASDI benefits. WorkSmart is a tool that identifies Disability Insurance beneficiaries whose earnings put them at risk for being overpaid. We created the WorkSmart project to reduce and prevent Improper Payments and complete work Continuing Disability Reviews more efficiently by identifying earnings earlier, identifying cases that have earnings above substantial gainful activity (SGA) and are still receiving benefits, and prioritizing cases that are most likely to end in an SGA cessation. This helps prevent beneficiaries from building overpayment debts.
    FY2027+
    Planned

Overpayments

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments within the agency’s control are caused by our failure to access data or information needed. These overpayments occur when we have access to the data or information we need to accurately compute the benefit amount, but we failed to use the data or information provided to validate the payment accuracy prior to making a payment. The leading cause of the overpayment was our failure to timely update records with reported changes or take appropriate action. An incorrect action could be due to a mathematical error, typographical error, incorrect policy interpretation, or delay in input. To prevent these overpayments from occurring, we provide training and reminders for technicians when applicable and automation solutions to improve accuracy when possible.
Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments within the agency's control $1,619.78 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $1,619.78 M

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments outside the agency’s control occur when we are unable to access data needed to calculate a payment because the beneficiary or a third-party either did not provide the requested information or provided inaccurate information necessary to compute the accurate benefit amount. It occurs because of beneficiaries’ or representative payees’ failure to report changes. For this reporting period, the leading cause of overpayments outside the agency’s control was the failure to report changes in marital status timely (i.e. marriage, divorce, or remarriage).
Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments outside the agency's control $4,901.88 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $4,901.88 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M

Overpayment type Eligibility element/information needed Eligibility amount
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Employment $735.28 M
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Marital Status $4,117.58 M
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $49.02 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Dependency $48.59 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Employment $939.47 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Military Status $48.59 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Prisoner Status $48.59 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $502.13 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Residency $32.4 M

Overpayment type Mitigation strategies taken Mitigation strategies planned
Overpayments within the agency’s control Audit, Automation, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training Automation, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training

Underpayments

Underpayment root cause Underpayment amount
Amount of underpayments $1,822.96 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $85.27 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $1,737.69 M

Eligibility element/information needed Eligibility amount
Age $72.92 M
Employment $309.9 M
Household Size $91.15 M
Military Status $18.23 M
Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $1,330.76 M

Mitigation strategies taken Mitigation strategies planned
Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Training

Technically improper payments

The amount of improper payments that were paid to the right recipient for the correct amount but were considered technically improper because of failure to follow statute or regulation $0.0 M

Additional information

$1,822.96 M

Unknown Payment Details

Evaluation of corrective actions

We remain focused on our strategic objectives and agency goals to ensure stewardship and improve program integrity by reducing improper payments. We monitor the status of corrective actions through monthly meetings and quarterly senior executive meetings. We evaluated existing initiatives and developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of leading causes of improper payments. These efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. The purpose of this effort is to strategically align agency wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments. By identifying and analyzing the root causes of the improper payments, we channel our efforts in the most efficient manner ensuring that we are fiscally responsible as we implement a corrective action plan.

In fiscal year 2023, we completed evaluations on three of the Improper Payments Alignment Strategies. We will continue to find opportunities to explore cost-effective corrective action plans based on our evaluations. However, we continue to note that the complexity of our Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability program makes it extremely difficult to determine the dollar value associated with a particular corrective action.

Future payment integrity outlook

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) has established a baseline.

We have been maintaining a high payment accuracy rate. We strive to pay the right person, the right amount at the right time to reduce improper payments. We have centralized the coordination and monitoring of agency-wide improper payment initiatives. We implemented the Improper Payments Alignment Strategies to focus on our corrective actions to address the root causes of leading causes of improper payments.

Out-Year improper payment and unknown payment projections and target
Current year +1 estimated future outlays $1,338,632.34 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payments $5,354.53 M
Current year +1 estimated future unknown payments $0 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment rate 0.4 %
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment reduction target 0.4 %

The program's current year improper payment and unknown payment rate of 0.66 % has not been achieved with a balance of payment integrity risk and controls and does not represent the lowest rate that can be achieved without disproportionally increasing another risk, therefore it is not the tolerable rate.

Internal Controls: We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. Our existing internal control environment and assurance processes provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board, consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide.

Human Capital: Our program integrity work is labor-intensive and dependent on having the necessary trained staff to do the work. For the most part, our employees who handle our program integrity work also handle applications for benefits and other mission-critical work. Sustained, sufficient funding is critical to maintain a workforce size necessary to balance our service and stewardship work.

Information Systems: Our staff rely on our information technology (IT) infrastructure to serve the public and safeguard our programs. Our technology modernization investments focus on simple, seamless, and secure service by delivering customer-centric digital capabilities with human-centered design, business intelligence, and mobile accessible platforms. We plan on continuing to implement new digital services that focus on enhancing the customer experience and removing barriers to service to meet the needs and preferences of our customers, partners, and employees. We are prioritizing self-service options to improve customer service while reducing manual work completed by frontline staff. Sustained, sufficient funding is necessary to continue to modernize our IT.

Other Infrastructure: Cybersecurity is vital to protecting the personally identifiable information of everyone we serve. Maintaining the public’s trust in our ability to protect sensitive data housed in our systems requires advanced cybersecurity controls, constant assessment of the threat landscape, and continual improvements and enhancements of our cybersecurity program. Our cybersecurity program uses a risk-based approach to balance protection and productivity and focuses on continuous improvement. We are expanding our cybersecurity program in support of Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum 22-09, Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles. In addition, we are strengthening our digital identity processes to comply with the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act.

Our cybersecurity efforts help us to maintain our vigilance and protect against network intrusions and improper access of data by strengthening our defensive cyber capabilities, sharing cyber threat information with our Federal and industry partners, and moving toward a Zero Trust Architecture that focuses on the secure flow of information from the network perimeter across the enterprise.

The fiscal year 2024 President’s Budget included resources for internal controls to maintain our level of improper payments. As part of our stewardship responsibilities and our efforts to reduce improper payments, we also requested funding for program integrity activities. Many of the tools we use, such as our medical Continuing Disability Reviews, work Continuing Disability Reviews, and the Cooperative Disability Investigations program, save billions of program dollars with a proportionally small investment of administrative resources.

Additional programmatic information

The annual sample in our Stewardship Reviews is sufficient to provide statistically reliable data on the overall payment accuracy. However, the annual sample does not provide statistically reliable information about individual deficiencies in a given year; therefore, we use an average of a 5-year period. The data call is based on fiscal year 2022 (single year) stewardship findings. Corrective actions are based on stewardship findings and marital status/relationship has not been the leading cause of Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments.

We are responsible for issuing over $1 trillion in benefit payments annually; even the slightest error in the overall payment process can result in billions of dollars in improper payments. It is important to note that we maintain a high payment accuracy rate. As good stewards of our programs and as required by law, we continue our quality reviews, cost-effective program integrity work, and payment accuracy efforts to ensure individuals receive the benefits for which they are eligible. We are examining our internal policies and procedures for opportunities to improve so that we can maintain a high payment accuracy rate. The Acting Commissioner recently established a team to review our overpayment policies and procedures to further improve how we serve our customers.

  • FY 2024 improper payment estimates

    Chart legend and breakdown

    Payment accuracy rate

    Improper payment rate

    Unknown payment rate


    Sampling & estimation methodology details

    Sampling timeframe:

    10/2022 - 09/2023


    Confidence interval:

    95% to <100%


    Margin of error:

    +/-0.2

  • Actions taken & planned to mitigate improper payments

    Mitigation strategy Description of the corrective action Completion date Status
    Automation
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing a Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE) application. CCE will be a single-entry point for employees to process all agency benefits. CCE includes eligibility screening, initial claims intake processing, and post-entitlement activities. CCE will automate more computations, reduce manual actions, assist in the identification of potential or missed entitlements, and include dynamic pathing and policy references within the application. Currently, only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available in CCE with additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Title 18) to be added in future releases. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, there were several CCE updates in the SSI program to improve CCE software performance, correct software problems, and respond to employee feedback. In December 2023, CCE Announcements became available. Now, when updates are made within CCE, the technicians receive a brief message the first time they access the application describing the changes. Hyperlinks will be provided for the user to access more in-depth information, if desired. This enhancement is designed to assist our busy technicians by providing just-in-time information within CCE, so they do not have to pause and locate references related to CCE. In June 2024, we released enhancements to several CCE pages including the Special Enrollment Period page and Alien Deportation page to upgrade the User Experience Framework. We also released an enhancement to the Printing and Signature page that replaces the existing Printing and Signatures page with redesigned Print, Sign, and Document Summary pages. For upcoming enhancements, we are working on a multi-phased implementation for SSI payment continuation, which will automate the current legacy process to a modernized input mechanism to initiate and remove payment continuation. This will reduce user error and reliance on the regionally developed appeals application. We are incorporating the start date functionality within CCE, which is housed within a regional application. We also plan to release our first retirement benefit application within CCE. We will test it in a few field offices before a national release. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing the Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Product. The CDR Product is a project to streamline the continuing disability review process, increase efficiencies, and reduce improper payments for work CDRs. The multifaceted product is comprised of four separate workstreams: Work CDR, Medical CDR, Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS), and CDRs Modernization, across several component business and systems sponsors. In FY 2023, CDR product released the i454 which allows adult beneficiaries with an online option to file the SSA-454 or a Medical CDR Report. When the customer uses this online version, the technician's process is streamlined and allows for quicker processing. In FY 2024, we released Multiple Pending Claim functionality to the EDCS that will reduce the reliance on paper processing. We made the eWork system Multi-Factor Authentication compliant. We are currently developing a modernized replacement of eWork which will be integrated into the existing EDCS application. The eWork replacement will reinforce policy and intuitively drive best practices to reduce improper payments. In FY 2024 we made technical releases for the eWork replacement. We will release the minimum viable product to technicians in tandem with retiring eWork by the end of FY 2025. Subsequent releases will be scheduled for FY 2026 if funding permits. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED). TED is our enterprise customer relationship management solution that will provide a single location for information about our customers’ interactions with the agency to make it easier for our employees to help the public and increases efficiency and accuracy, improving the overall customer experience. In FY 2023, TED added Registration and Customer Support, Upload Document workflows, and made general improvements to the application. In June 2023, TED became available for use in the Boston region. In February 2024, TED was rolled out nationally to all field offices and workload support units. In March 2024, an additional task called External Tasks became available. External Tasks provides technicians the ability to open commonly used applications directly from TED. As of June 2024, there are a total of 24 external applications available via TED. We plan to continue to enhance the customer composite by bringing in and displaying more customer information from other systems. Releases to enhance existing functionality occur on a quarterly basis. We are also working on plans to expand to other user groups, such as the field and regional offices including Appellate Operations. Integration of the technician facing portion of Visitor Intake Process Rewrite is planned for late FY 2025. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed processes using UIPath software. In FY 2021, we pursued a contract with UIPath software, to create automated “robotic” programs that will perform routine or repetitive tasks. Robotic Processing Automation (RPA), or “BOTs,” are available to Processing Center technicians to assist with processing manual awards or post-entitlement actions. Since January 2021, several BOTs have been created and placed into production. In FY 2024, we added a BOT utilized by headquarters analysts, that helped reduce stale Registration, Appointment and Services for Representatives (RASR) appointments. Technicians are able to use the BOT to review and terminate stale appointments in the RASR database. Use of BOTs reduces keystrokes and manual coding and detects exceptions and alerts before they occur. In FY 2025, we plan to enhance the existing RPA scripts and identify opportunities to automate computations and inputs to reduce input errors. We are making a long-term investment in robotics technology using the software to improve business processes and eliminate manual actions. To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we developed a tool to submit and sign documents electronically. In July 2023, we released the Upload Documents service into production. In September 2023 we added the electronic signature feature, which addresses the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government. In March 2024, we expanded the eSignature/Upload Documents service to all field offices and workload support units nationwide. This release allows customers to access the service with fewer customer authentication requirements. Also, in March 2024, eSignature/Upload Documents became available to all Field Offices and Workload Support Units Nationwide. In April 2024 and subsequent months, we began releasing mobile friendly web fillable forms in place of PDF forms for customer completion. Additionally, in June 2024, we added an automated 10-day follow up reminder and confirmation of successful submission emails to enhance communication with our customers. In September 2024, we integrated the service with my Social Security and also provide a new option for SMS/text communications. We plan to complete the following: continue to webify forms for a mobile friendly experience; continue increasing the number of forms and evidence types available; develop a self-service option accessible from my Social Security and SSA.gov; continue enhanced customer communications by including Upload Document service option in all paper request notices; and expand to 3rd party forms, allowing advocates and organizations to provide additional support to our mutual customers.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Behavioral/Psych Influence
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we inform Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries about their reporting responsibilities. To determine whether a beneficiary meets the Marital Status eligibility criteria, we must evaluate a beneficiary’s state of being unmarried, married, divorced, or widowed. Entitlement to some categories of benefits is impacted by the beneficiary’s marital status, so we rely on beneficiaries to report changes in their marital status. Section 826 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 required the Commissioner to establish and implement a system permitting Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries to report their earnings electronically. Our myWageReport (myWR) online application, allows DI beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, concurrent beneficiaries, and representative payees to report wages and view, print, or save a receipt. DI self-reporters and their representative payees can report wages that occurred within a two-year timeframe from the reporting date. We promote use of our online wage reporting application, myWR, on social media with training videos. From October 2023 through February 2024, we released social media posts on Facebook and X sharing a link to our YouTube video to help beneficiaries learn why it is important to report wages and the automated electronic options for wage reporting. In February 2024, we issued reminders on Social Security TV in field office reception areas to report relationship changes as it may affect their Social Security payments. In August 2024, we published a blog about the importance of reporting changes. The article provided examples of life changes that need to be reported to Social Security to avoid overpayments. In July and August 2024, we used our social media channels to post reminders for our beneficiaries about the importance of promptly reporting changes to their income, resources, and living arrangements to ensure accurate benefits and avoid overpayments. We plan to use our social media channels to post reminders for our beneficiaries about the importance of promptly reporting changes to their income, resources, and living arrangements to ensure accurate benefits and avoid overpayments. These posts also inform beneficiaries how we are required by law to adjust benefits or recover debts when people receive payments they are not entitled to. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we are working to simplify our notices and communications. Some of our notices and communications can be complex, lengthy, and difficult to comprehend. The difficulty can sometimes result from the complexity of our programs and legal requirements to communicate certain information. We published several blogs and Social Security TV slides in field office waiting areas on the importance of reporting relationship changes to us for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries to improve the responsiveness of beneficiaries and recipients in self-reporting information that impacts benefit payments. We are currently updating the Work Activity Report (SSA-821), to make it more understandable and more likely to be completed by applicants and beneficiaries. We use form SSA-821 to collect information about applicant and beneficiary’s work, applicable work incentives, and non-work-related pay. It allows us to make accurate decisions as to whether beneficiaries are performing Substantial Gainful Activity. In addition, we developed a Work Incentive Notice pilot for increasing completion of the Work Activity Report by sending beneficiaries pre-notices that incorporate behaviorally informed language to encourage completion of these reports. In addition, throughout 2024 we reviewed new and revised agency notices for both clear messaging and plain language. We will need to obtain Office of Management and Budget clearance for Form SSA-821 prior to implementation. We will sample notices and other communications and assess the quality and understandability of our communications. We will continue to inform and remind beneficiaries about reporting responsibilities. We will also continue to review overpayment-related notice review requests (both new and revised language) to make sure it is in plain language that people can read and understand.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Training
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed. In November 2023, we issued a reminder to technicians about the importance of inputting Family Max when manually calculating benefits. In March 2024, we updated policy providing detailed information to technicians regarding the importance of securing non-covered Government Pension data timely, when applicable, in order to calculate the correct benefit amount. We will continue to issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Cross Enterprise Sharing
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we will pursue new data exchange partners from government and private sectors in collaboration with our agency business sponsors. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the Data Exchange Community of Practice (DXCOP) and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, we implemented two new incoming data exchanges with State foster care agencies. These data exchanges assist in avoiding improper payments when a child's foster placement has changed. For FY 2024, 24 states/entities signed an Information Exchange Agreement and are participating, and 10 states signed the Information Exchange Agreement of State Foster Data Exchanges. These data exchanges assist in avoiding improper payments when a child's foster placement has changed. We continue to engage State agencies for the purpose of expanding this exchange. In June and September 2024, we held DXCOP meetings. We continue to engage State agencies for the purpose of expanding this exchange. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the DXCOP and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are improving our death data processing. We collect data from a variety of sources so that we can administer our programs. We have a contract with every State Bureau of Vital Statistics (the custodians for death records) and with some jurisdictions to provide us death data. Since 2002, we worked with States that want and are able to build a streamlined death registration process known as Electronic Death Registration (EDR). As of January 2022, all 50 States report deaths through the EDR process. We plan to continue making progress in centralizing our death inputs, improving the quality and processing of death data, and updating historical death records in our databases. In April 2024, for processing death reports, we issued a reminder to technicians to the Death Information Processing System for reports of death for enumerated individuals. To improve the completeness of our death information, we are in the early stages of contracting with the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems on the acquisition of historical State death records. This effort will increase the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of our death data. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, we developed a data exchange for the Federal Employment Compensation Act Data. The Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) workers’ compensation program, which is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), provides coverage to three million Federal and Postal workers. Receipt of FECA benefits can offset Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits. We have agreed with DOL to move forward with our request for DOL FECA data. We are working to finalize the agreement for DOL to provide FECA payment data to assist us in our offset requirements. In December 2023, the agency established an eCOMP system Memorandum of Understanding with DOL to obtain FECA benefits to allow the agency to offset OASDI benefits and prevent or reduce overpayments. Technicians can complete an ad hoc query in eCOMP to obtain FECA data, the FECA payment status, dates, amounts and it is immediately available to the technician via the eCOMP portal. In April 2024, we provided reminders on how to process initial claims with workers compensation lump-sum settlement allegations. We expect the exchange to be completed in FY 2025. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, and to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages, we are developing new wage reporting tools, such as an automated information exchange with commercial payroll data providers authorized by section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, now referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). In February 2024, we published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) describing the agency’s plans for accessing and using information from payroll data providers to reduce improper payments (overpayments and underpayments), which improves service to customers. The public comment period closed on April 15, 2024. We are carefully considering the comments as we draft the final rule, which is currently planned for publication in winter of FY 2025. In FY 2024, we completed the automated PIE wage reporting notices and created a limited issue diary to alert technicians when incoming wage and employment information from PIE doesn't automatically post to the SSI record, requiring manual review and action. We plan to implement PIE in the Spring of 2025 through a phased approach. This timeline will ensure compliance with rulemaking requirements and allow us to respond to public concerns from the NPRM public comment period.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Audit
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed a Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Corrective Action Plan. We developed a comprehensive corrective action plan to address multiple underlying causes of WEP and GPO improper payments. We formed a cross agency work group to review all Office of the Inspector General and internal studies to compile a comprehensive list of recommended changes in WEP and GPO implementation. We assessed the root causes of improper payments based on these changes and developed policy, data, systems, and training solutions in line with each of the root causes of improper payments. We developed a logic model framework to measure the effectiveness of completed corrective action that includes establishing benchmarks to evaluate the corrective actions, assessing the impact, if possible, and determining whether additional mitigation activities are necessary. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, the WEP/GPO calculator was added to the redesigned SSA.gov website. In FY 2023, there was an increase in improper payments related to WEP, but overall, since FY 2017, there has been a significant reduction in improper payments related to WEP and GPO. In March 2024, we provided detailed information to technicians regarding the importance of securing non-covered Government Pension data timely, when applicable, in order to calculate the correct benefit amount. In FY 2024, we developed a new policy to address multiple non-covered pensions distributed or terminated at different periods of time. This will provide a consistent national policy. We plan to publish the policy in FY 2025.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Predictive Analytics
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries who are potentially entitled for higher benefits. In October 2023, we mailed out more than 15,000 notices to beneficiaries receiving spousal benefits and more than 28,000 to surviving spouses who may potentially be eligible for higher retirement benefits on their own records. In April 2024, we issued a policy reminder to technicians to review cases carefully to determine whether retroactivity is applicable for surviving spouse benefits. We also developed a “Potential Entitlements” Tactical Plan to educate people who may be eligible for Social Security benefits, particularly Survivors’ benefits and Supplemental Security Income. It also includes targeted outreach by providing materials to third parties and our regional communications staffs. We also conducted a longitudinal study on mailers in fiscal year (FY) 2024. The draft is currently in the review/clearance process. Communications tactics from our Tactical Plan will continue through calendar year 2024. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries who are working and it may affect their eligibility to receive OASDI benefits. WorkSmart is a tool that identifies Disability Insurance beneficiaries whose earnings put them at risk for being overpaid. We created the WorkSmart project to reduce Improper Payments by alerting cases quickly after the beneficiary starts to work. In FY 2024, WorkSmart continued to alert cases for work Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) based on available earnings data. WorkSmart will use Payroll Information Exchange data when available to alert cases for a work CDR. We will continue to use WorkSmart to reduce overpayments.
    The corrective action was not fully completed this reporting period
    Not Completed
    Automation
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing a Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE) application. CCE will be a single-entry point for employees to process all agency benefits. CCE includes eligibility screening, initial claims intake processing, and post-entitlement activities. CCE will automate more computations, reduce manual actions, assist in the identification of potential or missed entitlements, and include dynamic pathing and policy references within the application. Currently, only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available in CCE with additional claim types (i.e., Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Title 18) to be added in future releases. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, there were several CCE updates in the SSI program to improve CCE software performance, correct software problems, and respond to employee feedback. In December 2023, CCE Announcements became available. Now, when updates are made within CCE, the technicians receive a brief message the first time they access the application describing the changes. Hyperlinks will be provided for the user to access more in-depth information, if desired. This enhancement is designed to assist our busy technicians by providing just-in-time information within CCE, so they do not have to pause and locate references related to CCE. In June 2024, we released enhancements to several CCE pages including the Special Enrollment Period page and Alien Deportation page to upgrade the User Experience Framework. We also released an enhancement to the Printing and Signature page that replaces the existing Printing and Signatures page with redesigned Print, Sign, and Document Summary pages. For upcoming enhancements, we are working on a multi-phased implementation for SSI payment continuation, which will automate the current legacy process to a modernized input mechanism to initiate and remove payment continuation. This will reduce user error and reliance on the regionally developed appeals application. We are incorporating the start date functionality within CCE, which is housed within a regional application. We also plan to release our first retirement benefit application within CCE. We will test it in a few field offices before a national release. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are developing the Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Product. The CDR Product is a project to streamline the continuing disability review process, increase efficiencies, and reduce improper payments for work CDRs. The multifaceted product is comprised of four separate workstreams: Work CDR, Medical CDR, Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS), and CDRs Modernization, across several component business and systems sponsors. In FY 2023, CDR product released the i454 which allows adult beneficiaries with an online option to file the SSA-454 or a Medical CDR Report. When the customer uses this online version, the technician's process is streamlined and allows for quicker processing. In FY 2024, we released Multiple Pending Claim functionality to the EDCS that will reduce the reliance on paper processing. We made the eWork system Multi-Factor Authentication compliant. We are currently developing a modernized replacement of eWork which will be integrated into the existing EDCS application. The eWork replacement will reinforce policy and intuitively drive best practices to reduce improper payments. In FY 2024 we made technical releases for the eWork replacement. We will release the minimum viable product to technicians in tandem with retiring eWork by the end of FY 2025. Subsequent releases will be scheduled for FY 2026 if funding permits. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED). TED is our enterprise customer relationship management solution that will provide a single location for information about our customers’ interactions with the agency to make it easier for our employees to help the public and increases efficiency and accuracy, improving the overall customer experience. In FY 2023, TED added Registration and Customer Support, Upload Document workflows, and made general improvements to the application. In June 2023, TED became available for use in the Boston region. In February 2024, TED was rolled out nationally to all field offices and workload support units. In March 2024, an additional task called External Tasks became available. External Tasks provides technicians the ability to open commonly used applications directly from TED. As of June 2024, there are a total of 24 external applications available via TED. We plan to continue to enhance the customer composite by bringing in and displaying more customer information from other systems. Releases to enhance existing functionality occur on a quarterly basis. We are also working on plans to expand to other user groups, such as the field and regional offices including Appellate Operations. Integration of the technician facing portion of Visitor Intake Process Rewrite is planned for late FY 2025. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed processes using UIPath software. In FY 2021, we pursued a contract with UIPath software, to create automated “robotic” programs that will perform routine or repetitive tasks. Robotic Processing Automation (RPA), or “BOTs,” are available to Processing Center technicians to assist with processing manual awards or post-entitlement actions. Since January 2021, several BOTs have been created and placed into production. In FY 2024, we added a BOT utilized by headquarters analysts, that helped reduce stale Registration, Appointment and Services for Representatives (RASR) appointments. Technicians are able to use the BOT to review and terminate stale appointments in the RASR database. Use of BOTs reduces keystrokes and manual coding and detects exceptions and alerts before they occur. In FY 2025, we plan to enhance the existing RPA scripts and identify opportunities to automate computations and inputs to reduce input errors. We are making a long-term investment in robotics technology using the software to improve business processes and eliminate manual actions. To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we developed a tool to submit and sign documents electronically. In July 2023, we released the Upload Documents service into production. In September 2023 we added the electronic signature feature, which addresses the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government. In March 2024, we expanded the eSignature/Upload Documents service to all field offices and workload support units nationwide. This release allows customers to access the service with fewer customer authentication requirements. Also, in March 2024, eSignature/Upload Documents became available to all Field Offices and Workload Support Units Nationwide. In April 2024 and subsequent months, we began releasing mobile friendly web fillable forms in place of PDF forms for customer completion. Additionally, in June 2024, we added an automated 10-day follow up reminder and confirmation of successful submission emails to enhance communication with our customers. In September 2024, we integrated the service with my Social Security and also provide a new option for SMS/text communications. We plan to complete the following: continue to webify forms for a mobile friendly experience; continue increasing the number of forms and evidence types available; develop a self-service option accessible from my Social Security and SSA.gov; continue enhanced customer communications by including Upload Document service option in all paper request notices; and expand to 3rd party forms, allowing advocates and organizations to provide additional support to our mutual customers.
    FY2028+
    Planned
    Behavioral/Psych Influence
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we inform Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries about their reporting responsibilities. To determine whether a beneficiary meets the Marital Status eligibility criteria, we must evaluate a beneficiary’s state of being unmarried, married, divorced, or widowed. Entitlement to some categories of benefits is impacted by the beneficiary’s marital status, so we rely on beneficiaries to report changes in their marital status. Section 826 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 required the Commissioner to establish and implement a system permitting Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries to report their earnings electronically. Our myWageReport (myWR) online application, allows DI beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, concurrent beneficiaries, and representative payees to report wages and view, print, or save a receipt. DI self-reporters and their representative payees can report wages that occurred within a two-year timeframe from the reporting date. We promote use of our online wage reporting application, myWR, on social media with training videos. From October 2023 through February 2024, we released social media posts on Facebook and X sharing a link to our YouTube video to help beneficiaries learn why it is important to report wages and the automated electronic options for wage reporting. In February 2024, we issued reminders on Social Security TV in field office reception areas to report relationship changes as it may affect their Social Security payments. In August 2024, we published a blog about the importance of reporting changes. The article provided examples of life changes that need to be reported to Social Security to avoid overpayments. In July and August 2024, we used our social media channels to post reminders for our beneficiaries about the importance of promptly reporting changes to their income, resources, and living arrangements to ensure accurate benefits and avoid overpayments. We plan to use our social media channels to post reminders for our beneficiaries about the importance of promptly reporting changes to their income, resources, and living arrangements to ensure accurate benefits and avoid overpayments. These posts also inform beneficiaries how we are required by law to adjust benefits or recover debts when people receive payments they are not entitled to. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we are working to simplify our notices and communications. Some of our notices and communications can be complex, lengthy, and difficult to comprehend. The difficulty can sometimes result from the complexity of our programs and legal requirements to communicate certain information. We published several blogs and Social Security TV slides in field office waiting areas on the importance of reporting relationship changes to us for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries to improve the responsiveness of beneficiaries and recipients in self-reporting information that impacts benefit payments. We are currently updating the Work Activity Report (SSA-821), to make it more understandable and more likely to be completed by applicants and beneficiaries. We use form SSA-821 to collect information about applicant and beneficiary’s work, applicable work incentives, and non-work-related pay. It allows us to make accurate decisions as to whether beneficiaries are performing Substantial Gainful Activity. In addition, we developed a Work Incentive Notice pilot for increasing completion of the Work Activity Report by sending beneficiaries pre-notices that incorporate behaviorally informed language to encourage completion of these reports. In addition, throughout 2024 we reviewed new and revised agency notices for both clear messaging and plain language. We will need to obtain Office of Management and Budget clearance for Form SSA-821 prior to implementation. We will sample notices and other communications and assess the quality and understandability of our communications. We will continue to inform and remind beneficiaries about reporting responsibilities. We will also continue to review overpayment-related notice review requests (both new and revised language) to make sure it is in plain language that people can read and understand.
    FY2028+
    Planned
    Training
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed. In November 2023, we issued a reminder to technicians about the importance of inputting Family Max when manually calculating benefits. In March 2024, we updated policy providing detailed information to technicians regarding the importance of securing non-covered Government Pension data timely, when applicable, in order to calculate the correct benefit amount. We will continue to issue reminders and policy clarifications to employees, as needed.
    FY2028+
    Planned
    Cross Enterprise Sharing
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, we will pursue new data exchange partners from government and private sectors in collaboration with our agency business sponsors. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the Data Exchange Community of Practice (DXCOP) and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, we implemented two new incoming data exchanges with State foster care agencies. These data exchanges assist in avoiding improper payments when a child's foster placement has changed. For FY 2024, 24 states/entities signed an Information Exchange Agreement and are participating, and 10 states signed the Information Exchange Agreement of State Foster Data Exchanges. These data exchanges assist in avoiding improper payments when a child's foster placement has changed. We continue to engage State agencies for the purpose of expanding this exchange. In June and September 2024, we held DXCOP meetings. We continue to engage State agencies for the purpose of expanding this exchange. We plan to expand our outreach efforts with the DXCOP and the States Data Exchange Community of Interest, to engage more agencies and broaden the expansion of best practices toward streamlining the exchange of data. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we are improving our death data processing. We collect data from a variety of sources so that we can administer our programs. We have a contract with every State Bureau of Vital Statistics (the custodians for death records) and with some jurisdictions to provide us death data. Since 2002, we worked with States that want and are able to build a streamlined death registration process known as Electronic Death Registration (EDR). As of January 2022, all 50 States report deaths through the EDR process. We plan to continue making progress in centralizing our death inputs, improving the quality and processing of death data, and updating historical death records in our databases. In April 2024, for processing death reports, we issued a reminder to technicians to the Death Information Processing System for reports of death for enumerated individuals. To improve the completeness of our death information, we are in the early stages of contracting with the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems on the acquisition of historical State death records. This effort will increase the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of our death data. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, we developed a data exchange for the Federal Employment Compensation Act Data. The Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) workers’ compensation program, which is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), provides coverage to three million Federal and Postal workers. Receipt of FECA benefits can offset Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits. We have agreed with DOL to move forward with our request for DOL FECA data. We are working to finalize the agreement for DOL to provide FECA payment data to assist us in our offset requirements. In December 2023, the agency established an eCOMP system Memorandum of Understanding with DOL to obtain FECA benefits to allow the agency to offset OASDI benefits and prevent or reduce overpayments. Technicians can complete an ad hoc query in eCOMP to obtain FECA data, the FECA payment status, dates, amounts and it is immediately available to the technician via the eCOMP portal. In April 2024, we provided reminders on how to process initial claims with workers compensation lump-sum settlement allegations. We expect the exchange to be completed in FY 2025. To address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, and to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages, we are developing new wage reporting tools, such as an automated information exchange with commercial payroll data providers authorized by section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, now referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). In February 2024, we published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) describing the agency’s plans for accessing and using information from payroll data providers to reduce improper payments (overpayments and underpayments), which improves service to customers. The public comment period closed on April 15, 2024. We are carefully considering the comments as we draft the final rule, which is currently planned for publication in winter of FY 2025. In FY 2024, we completed the automated PIE wage reporting notices and created a limited issue diary to alert technicians when incoming wage and employment information from PIE doesn't automatically post to the SSI record, requiring manual review and action. We plan to implement PIE in the Spring of 2025 through a phased approach. This timeline will ensure compliance with rulemaking requirements and allow us to respond to public concerns from the NPRM public comment period.
    FY2028+
    Planned
    Audit
    To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we developed a Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Corrective Action Plan. We developed a comprehensive corrective action plan to address multiple underlying causes of WEP and GPO improper payments. We formed a cross-agency work group to review all Office of the Inspector General and internal studies to compile a comprehensive list of recommended changes in WEP and GPO implementation. We assessed the root causes of improper payments based on these changes and developed policy, data, systems, and training solutions in line with each of the root causes of improper payments. We developed a logic model framework to measure the effectiveness of completed corrective action that includes establishing benchmarks to evaluate the corrective actions, assessing the impact, if possible, and determining whether additional mitigation activities are necessary. In fiscal year (FY) 2023, the WEP/GPO calculator was added to the redesigned SSA.gov website. In FY 2023, there was an increase in improper payments related to WEP, but overall, since FY 2017, there has been a significant reduction in improper payments related to WEP and GPO. In March 2024, we provided detailed information to technicians regarding the importance of securing non-covered Government Pension data timely, when applicable, in order to calculate the correct benefit amount. In FY 2024, we developed a new policy to address multiple non-covered pensions distributed or terminated at different periods of time. This will provide a consistent national policy. We plan to publish the policy in FY 2025.
    FY2025
    Planned
    Predictive Analytics
    To address improper payments caused by inability to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance beneficiaries who are potentially entitled for higher benefits. In October 2023, we mailed out more than 15,000 notices to beneficiaries receiving spousal benefits and more than 28,000 to surviving spouses who may potentially be eligible for higher retirement benefits on their own records. In April 2024, we issued a policy reminder to technicians to review cases carefully to determine whether retroactivity is applicable for surviving spouse benefits. We also developed a “Potential Entitlements” Tactical Plan to educate people who may be eligible for Social Security benefits, particularly Survivors’ benefits and Supplemental Security Income. It also includes targeted outreach by providing materials to third parties and our regional communications staffs. We also conducted a longitudinal study on mailers in fiscal year (FY) 2024. The draft is currently in the review/clearance process. Communications tactics from our Tactical Plan will continue through calendar year 2024. To address improper payments caused by failure to access data or information needed, we look for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) beneficiaries who are working and it may affect their eligibility to receive OASDI benefits. WorkSmart is a tool that identifies Disability Insurance beneficiaries whose earnings put them at risk for being overpaid. We created the WorkSmart project to reduce Improper Payments by alerting cases quickly after the beneficiary starts to work. In FY 2024, WorkSmart continued to alert cases for work Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) based on available earnings data. WorkSmart will use Payroll Information Exchange data when available to alert cases for a work CDR. We will continue to use WorkSmart to reduce overpayments.
    FY2028+
    Planned

Overpayments

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments within the agency’s control are caused by our failure to access data or information needed. These overpayments occur when we have access to the data or information we need to accurately compute the benefit amount, but we failed to use the data or information provided to validate the payment accuracy prior to making a payment. The leading cause of the overpayment was our failure to timely update records with reported changes or take appropriate action. An incorrect action could be due to incorrect policy interpretation and application, mathematical error, typographical error, or delay in input. To prevent these overpayments from occurring, we provide training and reminders for technicians when applicable and automation solutions to improve accuracy when possible.
Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments within the agency's control $850.88 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $850.88 M

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance overpayments outside the agency’s control occur when we are unable to access data needed to calculate a payment because the beneficiary or a third-party either did not provide the requested information or provided inaccurate information necessary to compute the accurate benefit amount. It occurs because of beneficiaries’ or representative payees’ failure to report changes. For this reporting period, the leading cause of overpayments outside the agency’s control was primarily our reliance on timely self-reporting of employment and wage information.
Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments outside the agency's control $2,408.44 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $2,408.44 M
The amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $0.0 M

Overpayment type Eligibility element/information needed Eligibility amount
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Employment $1,445.06 M
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Marital Status $553.94 M
Overpayments Outside Agency Control Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $409.43 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Age $34.04 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Employment $246.75 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Marital Status $280.79 M
Overpayments Within Agency Control Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $289.3 M

Overpayment type Mitigation strategies taken Mitigation strategies planned
Overpayments within the agency’s control Audit, Automation, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training Audit, Automation, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training

Underpayments

Underpayment root cause Underpayment amount
Amount of underpayments $833.36 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $52.29 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $781.07 M

Eligibility element/information needed Eligibility amount
Age $25.0 M
Citizenship $8.33 M
Deceased $466.68 M
Employment $200.01 M
Household Size $25.0 M
Military Status $58.34 M
Receiving Benefits from Other Sources $50.0 M

Mitigation strategies taken Mitigation strategies planned
Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training

Technically improper payments

The amount of improper payments that were paid to the right recipient for the correct amount but were considered technically improper because of failure to follow statute or regulation $0.0 M

Additional information

$833.36 M

Unknown Payment Details

Evaluation of corrective actions

For the root cause of overpayments within the agency’s control due to our failure to access data or information needed, our corrective actions and strategies fall within several high-level categories such as automation, business process improvement (including program and policy simplification), and training to improve accuracy.

For improper payments outside the agency’s control, we are addressing the challenge of reliance on self-reporting by promoting timely wage reporting and issuing reminders on reporting responsibilities. We plan to utilize an automated information exchange with commercial payroll data providers to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages. This exchange is referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange.

We remain focused on our strategic objectives and agency goals to ensure stewardship and improve program integrity by reducing improper payments. We monitor the status of corrective actions through bi-monthly meetings and quarterly senior executive meetings. We evaluated existing initiatives and developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of leading causes of improper payments. These efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. The purpose of this effort is to strategically align agency wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments. By identifying and analyzing the root causes of the improper payments, we channel our efforts in the most efficient manner ensuring that we are fiscally responsible as we implement a corrective action plan.

In fiscal year 2024 we completed our annual updates that are part of the monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of completed corrective actions on the leading causes of improper payments. We will continue to find opportunities to explore cost-effective corrective action plans based on our evaluations. However, we continue to note that the complexity of our Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability program makes it extremely difficult to determine the dollar value associated with a particular corrective action.

The primary cause of improper payments within the agency’s control is our failure to take timely and proper actions. The primary cause of improper payments outside the agency’s control occurs when we are unable to access data needed to calculate a payment because the beneficiary or a third-party either did not provide the requested information or provided inaccurate information necessary to compute the accurate benefit amount. It occurs because of beneficiaries or representative payees’ failure to report changes. For this reporting period, consistent with prior years, much of the overpayments continue to be attributed to employment. Therefore, to address improper payments caused by inability to access the data or information needed, and failure to access data or information needed, and to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages, we are developing new wage reporting tools, such as an automated information exchange with commercial payroll data providers authorized by section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, now referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange (PIE). PIE will allow us to receive monthly wage and employment information automatically through an information exchange with a participating payroll data provider and it will improve payment accuracy, reduce improper payments, and reduce the reporting burden on individuals when they authorize us to obtain this information through an information exchange and we receive it. We also anticipate that implementation of an information exchange will result in more efficient use of our limited administrative resources because our technicians would reduce the amount of time they spend: manually requesting this information from payroll data providers and employers; manually entering data into our systems from an individual’s pay records; contacting individuals; and assisting individuals with the results of incomplete or untimely reporting.

To focus our efforts, we have a team dedicated to monitoring and measuring the effectiveness on the progress of improper payment mitigation strategies and corrective actions. We have the Improper Payments Alignment Strategy where we conduct root cause analysis of the improper payment, obtain agency-wide engagement, and agreement of actions needed to remedy improper payment issues. This approach helps us develop corrective actions and mitigation strategies that are focused on the root cause of improper payments.

Program integrity workloads ensure that we issue program dollars appropriately. We conducted both medical and work continuing disability reviews to determine if a beneficiary remains eligible for benefits.

For the root cause of overpayments within the agency’s control due to our failure to access data or information needed, our corrective actions and strategies fall within several high-level categories such as automation, business process improvement (including program and policy simplification), and training to improve accuracy. We also evaluated the completed corrective actions to determine whether changes in the outcome can be attributed to the implementation of the corrective actions. We compared data before and after the implementation of corrective actions to determine whether we need additional actions.

We are investing in information technology modernization to provide our employees with user-friendly systems and tools to better serve the public, including a single unified process for benefit applications and a consolidated source with all information and agency interactions with our customers. To meet the challenges of our growing workloads and provide the best service possible, we are streamlining our policies and procedures, issuing reminders to technicians, and automating more of our business processes. We will continue to issue periodic reminders and policy clarifications, as needed.

We plan to utilize an automated information exchange with a commercial payroll data provider to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages as our corrective action for the root cause of overpayments outside the agency’s control due to our inability to access data or information needed. This exchange is referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange. Additionally, we are promoting timely wage reporting and issuing reminders on reporting responsibilities. From October 2023 through February 2024, we released social media posts on Facebook and Twitter sharing a link to our YouTube video to help beneficiaries learn about the importance of reporting wages and the automated electronic options for wage reporting.

We understand that reminders will not solve all problems related to improper payments caused by root cause factors outside the agency’s control. However, we will influence change where possible by simplifying communications and the way information is presented as our approach to reduce cognitive burden and improve understanding and readability.

We will continue our quality reviews and cost-effective program integrity work including medical disability reviews.

For improper payments within the agency’s control, we will continue to invest in information technology modernization to provide our employees with user-friendly systems and tools to better serve the public. To meet the challenges of our growing workloads and provide the best service possible, we will streamline our procedures and automate more of our business processes. We will enhance the quality of training to better equip our workforce.

For improper payments outside the agency’s control, we are addressing the challenge of reliance on self-reporting by promoting timely wage reporting and issuing reminders on reporting responsibilities. We plan to utilize an automated information exchange with commercial payroll data providers to reduce the reliance on self-reporting of wages. This exchange is referred to as the Payroll Information Exchange. We plan to continue current computer-matching agreements (CMAs) that yield a positive cost-benefit ratio, expand effective CMAs to meet additional program needs, research current programs, work with internal stakeholders to identify data exchange needs, and pursue new data exchanges with potential partners.

The actions taken were effectively implemented and prioritized within the agency.

Over the past several years, we have made strides in establishing the framework to obtain agency wide engagement and agreement on actions needed. Through the Improper Payments Alignment Strategy (IPAS), we determine the most cost-effective strategies to remediate the underlying cause of the improper payment, and we monitor, measure, and revise the strategies, as needed. We take into consideration the cost and the savings that will result from implementation of the corrective action plan.

In addition to monitoring and evaluating the initiatives, we have developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of improper payments. Combined, these efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. This approach strategically aligns agency-wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments. Through the IPAS process and the prioritization of planned reduction initiatives, we effectively implemented corrective actions that have the most impact to preventing and reducing improper payments.

We have centralized the coordination and monitoring of agency-wide improper payment initiatives. We implemented the Improper Payments Alignment Strategies to focus on our corrective actions to address the root causes of leading causes of improper payments. As part of our IPAS, we will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of each completed corrective action or mitigation strategy. Additionally, we will determine the most cost-effective strategies to remediate the underlying causes of payment errors and revise the strategies, as needed.

We will focus on efforts to address the root cause of improper payments. For improper payments outside of the agency’s control, we will continue to influence change where possible. For improper payments within the agency’s control, we will pursue workflow adjustments, policy and notice changes, training and reminders for technicians, and automation solutions to improve accuracy.

Future payment integrity outlook

Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) has established a baseline.

We have been maintaining a high payment accuracy rate. We strive to pay the right person, the right amount at the right time to reduce improper payments. We have centralized the coordination and monitoring of agency-wide improper payment initiatives. We implemented the Improper Payments Alignment Strategies to focus on our corrective actions to address the root causes of leading causes of improper payments.

Out-Year improper payment and unknown payment projections and target
Current year +1 estimated future outlays $1,447,097.38 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payments $5,788.39 M
Current year +1 estimated future unknown payments $0 M
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment rate 0.4 %
Current year +1 estimated future improper payment and unknown payment reduction target 0.4 %

The program's current year improper payment and unknown payment rate of 0.3 % has not been achieved with a balance of payment integrity risk and controls and does not represent the lowest rate that can be achieved without disproportionally increasing another risk, therefore it is not the tolerable rate.

Internal Controls: We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. Our existing internal control environment and assurance processes provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board, consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide.

Human Capital: Our program integrity work is labor-intensive and dependent on having the necessary trained staff to do the work. For the most part, our employees who handle our program integrity work also handle applications for benefits and other mission-critical work. Sustained, sufficient funding is critical to maintain a workforce size necessary to balance our service and stewardship work.

Information Systems: Our staff rely on our information technology (IT) infrastructure to serve the public and safeguard our programs. Our technology modernization investments focus on simple, seamless, and secure service by delivering customer-centric digital capabilities with human-centered design, business intelligence, and mobile accessible platforms. We plan on continuing to implement new digital services that focus on enhancing the customer experience and removing barriers to service to meet the needs and preferences of our customers, partners, and employees. We are prioritizing self-service options to improve customer service while reducing manual work completed by frontline staff. Sustained, sufficient funding is necessary to continue to modernize our IT.

Other Infrastructure: Cybersecurity is vital to protecting the personally identifiable information of everyone we serve. Maintaining the public’s trust in our ability to protect sensitive data housed in our systems requires advanced cybersecurity controls, constant assessment of the threat landscape, and continual improvements and enhancements of our cybersecurity program. Our cybersecurity program uses a risk-based approach to balance protection and productivity and focuses on continuous improvement. We are expanding our cybersecurity program in support of Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, and Office of Management and Budget Memorandum 22-09, Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles. In addition, we are strengthening our digital identity processes to comply with the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act.

Our cybersecurity efforts help us to maintain our vigilance and protect against network intrusions and improper access of data by strengthening our defensive cyber capabilities, sharing cyber threat information with our Federal and industry partners, and moving toward a Zero Trust Architecture that focuses on the secure flow of information from the network perimeter across the enterprise.

The fiscal year 2025 President’s Budget included resources for internal controls to maintain our level of improper payments. As part of our stewardship responsibilities and our efforts to reduce improper payments, we also requested $1.903 billion in dedicated funding for program integrity activities. Many of the tools we use, such as our medical Continuing Disability Reviews, work Continuing Disability Reviews, and the Cooperative Disability Investigations program, save billions of program dollars with a proportionally small investment of administrative resources.

Additional programmatic information

The annual sample in our Stewardship Reviews is sufficient to provide statistically reliable data on the overall payment accuracy. However, the annual sample does not provide statistically reliable information about individual deficiencies in a given year; therefore, we use an average of a 5-year period. The data reported is based on fiscal year 2023 (single year) stewardship findings.

We are responsible for issuing over $1 trillion in benefit payments annually; even the slightest error in the overall payment process can result in billions of dollars in improper payments. It is important to note that we maintain a high payment accuracy rate. As good stewards of our programs and as required by law, we continue our quality reviews, cost-effective program integrity work, and payment accuracy efforts to ensure individuals receive the benefits for which they are eligible. We are examining our internal policies and procedures for opportunities to improve so that we can maintain a high payment accuracy rate. Recently we established a team to review our overpayment policies and procedures to further improve how we serve our customers.

Accountability for detecting, preventing, and recovering improper payments

We are committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring the public has confidence that we manage their tax dollars wisely. We demonstrate a commitment to sound management practices. To ensure stewardship and the efficient administration of our programs, we have established performance measures in our Annual Performance Plan for fiscal years (FY) 2023–2024 to track our progress. Under Strategic Objective 3.1 – Improve the Accuracy and Administration of our Programs, there are two performance measures directly related to reduction of improper payments:

3.1a - Improve the integrity of the Supplemental Security Income program by focusing our efforts on reducing overpayments

3.1b - Maintain a high payment accuracy rate by reducing overpayments, in the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program

Under our annual Performance Accountability and Communication System, all agency managers have a critical element called “Manages Performance.” This element includes two performance standards related to preventing and reducing improper payments: establishes and maintains suitable internal controls to prevent improper payments; and uses established guidelines to reduce and recover improper payments.

We assess managers throughout the agency on these standards each year and hold them accountable for meeting improper payment reduction targets. Each agency component adds expectations that are more detailed for their positions describing what is expected for meeting these performance standards.

Senior Executive performance plans must clearly align with organizational goals and objectives under the Results Driven Critical Element. Performance levels in the performance requirements must reflect agency targets.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board (IPOB), consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide. The Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO) serves as the executive chair for the IPOB. To further our focus on reducing improper payments, in FY 2019, we established an Improper Payments Prevention Team now referred to as the Improper Payments Prevention Branch, in OARO. The team works with key agency stakeholders to develop Improper Payments Alignment Strategies (IPAS) that outline innovative and effective strategies to mitigate the root causes of improper payments. As part of our IPAS, we will evaluate the effectiveness of each planned or ongoing mitigation initiative. Additionally, we will determine the most cost-effective strategies to remediate the underlying causes of payment errors and monitor, measure, and revise the strategies, as needed. IPOB is responsible for reviewing, approving, and implementing all improper payment initiatives.

We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. We directly leverage our existing internal control environment and assurance processes to provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

The effective internal controls we incorporate into our business processes and financial management systems, as well as the program integrity efforts, support our Commissioner’s annual assurance statement to the President and Congress.

In April 2019, we established the Enterprise Fraud Risk Management (EFRM) program to systematically assess fraud risks across our major programmatic and administrative areas. Through our EFRM program we have conducted multiple fraud risk assessments on key areas such as Disability, Electronic Services, Administrative Services, and the Representative Payee program. After each fraud risk assessment, our senior executives review each fraud risk and determine whether our controls are effective or whether we need to develop additional controls to further reduce the risk. For each risk designated as “reduce” by our executives, we develop additional mitigation strategies to further prevent or detect the fraud. The risk response and the designated mitigation strategies form the basis of the fraud risk profile for each fraud area.

We completed a maintenance fraud risk assessment of Agency’s Administrative Services during FY 2024 and continued the reassessment of the disability fraud risk profile, consistent with the Government Accountability Office guidance, to reassess fraud risk profiles on a three-year cycle. We also finalized the Fraud Risk Profiles for the Enumeration program at the end of calendar year 2023.

For recovery of overpayments, effective March 25, 2024, we changed existing policy and procedure for recovering OASDI overpayments. Policy has been to default to full benefit withholding. However, with the change, we began applying a default of 10 percent withholding rate, or $10 per month, whichever is more, to an overpaid individual. There will be limited exceptions to this change, such as when an overpayment resulted from fraud.

Additionally, when negotiating a rate of overpayment recovery, we traditionally required documentation of income and expenses for repayment timeframes that extended beyond 36 months. In February 2024, we changed our policy to extend this timeframe to 60 months and reduced the burden on our beneficiaries to provide additional financial and resource information.

  • FY 2025 improper payment estimates

    Chart legend and breakdown

    Payment accuracy rate

    Improper payment rate

    Unknown payment rate


    Sampling & estimation methodology details

    Sampling timeframe:

    10/2023 - 09/2024


    Confidence interval:

    95% to <100%


    Margin of error:

    +/-0.2

Causes

Improper payments within the agency’s control are caused by our failure to access the data or information needed to make accurate payments. These improper payments occur when we have access to the data or information we need to accurately compute the benefit amount, but we failed to use the data or information provided to validate the payment accuracy prior to making a payment. The leading cause of improper payments was our failure to timely update records with reported changes or take appropriate action. An incorrect action could be due to incorrect policy interpretation and application, mathematical error, typographical error, or delay in input. To prevent improper payments from occurring, we provide training and reminders for technicians when applicable and automation solutions to improve accuracy when possible.

Improper payments outside the agency’s control occur when we are unable to access the data needed to calculate an accurate payment because the beneficiary or a third-party either did not provide the requested information or provided inaccurate information necessary to compute the accurate benefit amount. It occurs because of beneficiaries’ or representative payees’ failure to report changes. For this reporting period, the leading cause of improper payments outside the agency’s control was primarily our reliance on timely self-reporting of relationship and dependency matters, such as a change in marital status, that impacts benefit eligibility.

Overpayment root cause Overpayment amount
Amount of overpayments within the agency's control $1,079.75 M
Amount of overpayments outside the agency's control $67.17 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $67.17 M
Amount of overpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $1,079.75 M

Underpayment root cause Underpayment amount
Amount of underpayments $470.18 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment does not exist $0.0 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of an inability to access the data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $65.84 M
The amount of underpayments that occurred because of a failure to access data/information needed to validate payment accuracy prior to making a payment $404.34 M

The amount of improper payments that were paid to the right recipient for the correct amount but were considered technically improper because of failure to follow statute or regulation $0.0 M

The amount that could either be proper or improper but the agency is unable to determine whether it was proper or improper as a result of insufficient or lack of documentation $0.0 M

Prevention

We developed the Improper Payment Alignment Strategy (IPAS) process to obtain agency-wide engagement and agreement on corrective actions to address the root causes of improper payments and the top deficiencies in our programs. We have completed IPASs on multiple areas of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) improper payment deficiency, and we monitor the corrective actions within those IPASs. Most of the OASI corrective actions described within this response are from two new IPASs completed in FY 2025 (computations and relationship/dependency) as well as IPASs on windfall elimination provision (WEP) and government pension offset (GPO) and improving death data processes. We also discuss broad-based efforts to ensure policy compliance and payment accuracy and ensure individuals receive the benefits they are due.

WEP and GPO reduced or offset Social Security monthly benefits to beneficiaries who received a pension based on non-covered earnings. Most of these workers had non-covered earnings from federal, state, or local governments. Errors relating to WEP/GPO have been one of the leading causes of OASI improper payments. We had previously relied on applicants, beneficiaries, or their representative payees to report their entitlement to current or future non-covered pensions; however, they did not always report the receipt of or changes to a pension, resulting in benefit calculation and payment errors. WEP and GPO errors also occurred when the agency did not correctly impose reductions or offset, misapplied exceptions or exemptions, or applied WEP but not GPO (or vice versa) for dually entitled beneficiaries.

We developed a comprehensive corrective action plan to address multiple underlying causes of WEP/GPO improper payments. We assessed the root causes of improper payments based on these changes and developed policy, data, systems, and training solutions in line with each of the root causes of improper payments. On January 5, 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 was signed into law, thereby repealing WEP/GPO. December 2023 is the last month that WEP and GPO will apply. This means that those rules no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later. The agency worked quickly and successfully to implement these changes. In April, we began releasing higher monthly benefit payments. As of July 7, 2025, we completed sending over 3.1 million payments, totaling $17 billion, to beneficiaries eligible under the Social Security Fairness Act. The average retroactive payment was $7,208. As of September 30, 2025, we have taken over 387,000 new initial claims. We anticipate the WEP/GPO repeal will significantly reduce and eventually eliminate WEP/GPO improper payments in future years.

Computational errors occur due to many factors. Generally, these factors include: systems limitations for complex cases; manual calculation of benefits involving complicated policies; technician errors; incorrect earnings postings; beneficiaries not reporting complete and pertinent information; and lack of accurate and accessible data. We continue development of the Consolidated Claims Experience (CCE), a modernized user-friendly web-based application designed to centralize and streamline benefit claim processing actions, reduce training time for technicians, and provide a more intuitive approach for data collection and processing of benefit claims. CCE will employ modernized and enhanced computation utilities that minimize manual tasks and help technicians identify entitlement and eligibility for all programs for which the claimant qualifies, in order to mitigate missed entitlements. The system introduces new and enhanced features not found in existing platforms, such as More Info links, talking points for users, and easy access to commonly used external resources. These improvements increase customer satisfaction by eliminating redundant information requests and reducing the need for technicians to recontact customers, improve the timeliness and accuracy of claims processing, enhancing efficiency, and reducing operating costs. Between December 2024-August 2025, we released the retirement (RIB), Medicare-Only, and RIB with Medicare applications and user-requested enhancements in CCE to 14 sites in the Northeast and Mid-West/West regions.? We released these three applications nationally in CCE in September 2025.

We developed processes using UIPath software to create automated “robotic” programs that perform routine or repetitive tasks and increase the speed and accuracy of manual processing. Robotic Processing Automation (RPA), or “BOTs,” are available to Processing Center (PC) technicians to assist with processing manual awards or post-entitlement actions. Since January 2021, seven PC-specific BOTs have been created to assist with OASI and/or Disability Insurance actions and placed into production. In December 2024, we provided general reminders and guidance for PC technicians on BOT usage. We completed the final testing stages of the UiPath Assistant software and rolled out the new platform to PC users in August 2025. We are making a long-term investment in robotics technology using the software to improve business processes and eliminate manual actions.

In January 2025, we released instructions to field office technicians to review earning records for identified pending retirement and disability claims. Validating earnings records associated with pending claims ensures accurate eligibility and payment amounts. In April 2025, we released a reminder to frontline technicians including information on reducing improper payments related to benefit computations. When automated systems cannot compute benefit amounts in certain situations, there are a variety of computations tools that technicians should use to ensure accuracy. In May 2025, we updated policy instructions associated with temporary and ongoing earnings inaccuracies and coding used to trigger an alert for technicians to review and ensure the accuracy of earnings records and Primary Insurance Amounts before automatic benefit increases. In the May 2025 policy update, we expanded the coding to include “all disclaimed wages and those institutionalized.” This action stemmed from an Office of the Inspector General report on institutionalized beneficiaries who have earnings.

Marital status and child relationship factors are material when determining entitlement to certain auxiliary and survivor benefits. Improper payments occur due to beneficiaries failing to report changes in marital status, the agency’s inability to automate, and difficulty expanding data exchanges to include the exchange of marital information. To address these issues, in FY 2025, we have been airing relationship and dependency reminders on televisions in field office reception areas. In April 2025, we released a reminder to frontline technicians on checking for program entitlement when an individual changes their name due to marriage or divorce. The guidance also included a reminder on verifying that all child-in-care information is entered in the system correctly. In FY 2026, if resources allow, we will explore options to expand the Internet Social Security Number Replacement’s current process and incorporate downstream application alerts to reduce instances of improper payments.

We collect death data from a variety of sources and work to improve our death data processing so that we can effectively administer our programs. We have a contract with every State Bureau of Vital Statistics (the custodians for death records) and with some jurisdictions to provide us death data. Since 2002, we worked with States that want and are able to build a streamlined death registration process known as Electronic Death Registration (EDR). As of July 2025, all 50 States, New York City, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands report deaths through the EDR process. On September 30, 2024, we awarded a contract with the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) on the acquisition of historical State death records. In FY 2025, we worked with NAPHSIS on establishing the infrastructure required to receive the historical death data. This multi-year effort will increase the accuracy, integrity, and completeness of our death data.

In March and June 2025, we updated Numident records with additional death information for non-beneficiary individuals that were over 120 years of age when there was no death record present on the Numident. These efforts resulted in over 12 million death records being added to the Numident. In March 2025, we also provided the Internal Revenue Service a one-time file concerning individuals listed in the agency’s enumeration system who are age 120 or older based on available information as recorded in that system. Efforts are ongoing to update our Numident records for individuals over 100 years of age with death data. We also increased the frequency with which the agency provides updates concerning the full file of death information to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service for use in the Do Not Pay system.? We implemented this change (from weekly to daily) on April 1, 2025. In July 2025, we released a reminder to field office technicians to verify and record the death when a report of death on form DS-2060 U.S. Consular Report of Death Abroad is received.

For root causes where the data or information needed to process a payment correctly does not exist or the agency is unable to access the data or information needed, we are establishing alternate sources of information. For example, we conducted 22 computer-matching agreements (CMA) with various Federal partners to help us determine eligibility and offset benefits for our programs. The total annual savings attributed to these CMAs is approximately $14.9 billion, with an annual cost of approximately $510 million, yielding a positive benefit-to-cost ratio of about $29 to $1. We plan to continue current CMAs that yield a positive cost-benefit ratio, expand effective CMAs to meet additional program needs, research current programs, work with internal stakeholders to identify data exchange needs, and pursue new data exchanges with potential partners. In December 2024 and April 2025, we held Data Exchange Community of Practice meetings. In FY 2026, we are working to reestablish the relationships with the current agency contacts, update the invitation list, and determine future topics for the meetings as resources allow.

We have several broad-based initiatives in place or underway that are designed to ensure technician compliance with policy and improve payment accuracy.

We complete Transaction Accuracy Reviews (TAR) on a triennial basis to assist in assessing operational quality. TAR focuses on a review of the nonmedical factors of entitlement and eligibility for OASI and DI payments in initial claims awards and disallowances. TAR findings provide insight to causes of improper payments and identify recommendations for improvement, which are shared with agency stakeholders. TAR is completed on a triennial basis. We will complete the next TAR report in FY 2027 based on reviews of FY 2026 case samples.

In September 2024, we released the 21st Century PolicyNet (21CPN), which replaced PolicyNet, the 20+ year-old software platform that contains multiple applications and hosts tens of thousands of pages of policy instruction. The overall goals of 21CPN are an improved user experience, process efficiencies for the author, publisher, and researcher role, as well as improving searching capabilities, including the use of intelligent search. In December 2024, we launched improvements that introduced new message types, enhanced search functionalities, upgraded navigation features, included spell check for technician searches, and provided access to a variety of operational resources, archives, and margin notes. In April 2025, we successfully finished the data migration process and implemented enhanced search features. These improvements now encompass the hearings, appeal, and litigation law manual, as well as Social Security rulings and acquiescence rulings, along with policy documents and ownership details. Additionally, we provided quick access to agency form repositories and included a user guide for 21CPN. In June 2025, we launched an advanced search feature designed to improve the accessibility of policies, procedures, and instructions. Additionally, we upgraded the application's presentation and usability by incorporating a series of content clusters and a "Trending" topics section to showcase and highlight agency initiatives for key stakeholders. In September 2025, we broadened the data set to incorporate various procedural content clusters, link libraries, question and answer sections, and related instructions links. Furthermore, we improved the presentation functionality by introducing subscriptions and daily messages. Finally, by the end of FY 2026, contingent upon successful testing and evaluation, we plan to launch a generative artificial intelligence (AI) "Policy Assistant Tool (PAT)" designed to simplify the search process for policies, procedures, and instructions. This tool will assist technicians in quickly and accurately finding and understanding relevant information to aid in decision-making.

We developed the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED) as an enterprise customer relationship management solution that will provide a single location for information about our customers’ interactions with the agency to make it easier for our employees to help the public and increases efficiency and accuracy, improving the overall customer experience. In February 2024, we rolled TED out nationally to all field offices (FO) and workload support units. In November 2024, we expanded TED to all teleservice (TSC) centers. TED modernized the previous 30-year-old Customer Help and Information Program (CHIP) that assisted TSC technicians when responding to customer inquiries via telephone. In January and March 2025, we released two iterations of TED enhancements, improving upon the functionality for field office and teleservice centers. In April and June 2025, we enhanced the identity verifications procedures within TED to send a Security Authentication Personal Identification Number to authenticated customers (that technicians subsequently verify) before making direct deposit and direct express enrollments, changes, or cancellations over the phone.

In December 2025, we plan to release a workflow in TED that allows FO and TSC technicians to update payment information for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. The release will also include the FO expansion of the ability to automate the process for collecting the customer SSN and starting an interaction in TED. In addition, TSC technicians will have the ability to access the workflow for handling customer requests for special notice options and other accommodations. Modernization efforts will also include the replacement of older technology used to pass data from legacy systems. In FY 2026, business workflow development efforts will focus on a streamlined process for assisting SSI recipients with updating address and telephone information, scheduling appointments and sending customers agency forms/links via their “my Social Security” account, text, or email. In addition, the product will continue to work towards CHIP replacement by implementing the use of AI to develop high volume informational workflows such as Medicare, Social Security Statement etc. Lastly, we are working to implement the first iteration of Customer Intake in TED in FY 2026. This feature empowers technicians to seamlessly manage reception traffic and appointments for their office. With streamlined check-in, identity verification, and task management capabilities, technicians can deliver faster, more accurate and personalized service without switching between multiple applications.

In March 2024, we expanded the Upload Documents and eSignature services, which allows beneficiaries and recipients to submit and sign documents electronically, to all field offices and workload support units nationwide. We completed various enhancements and expanded available forms throughout FYs 2024 and 2025. Beginning March 29, 2025, a new customer-initiated option is available allowing customers to electronically submit certain forms to the agency without technician initiation. This self-service approach empowers customers to initiate document uploads as soon as they recognize a need, eliminating delays caused by waiting for technician outreach. In FY 2026, we will continue to webify forms for a mobile friendly experience and increase the number of forms. We plan to expand customer-initiated submissions to allow individual representative payees to submit documents.

To improve accuracy of processing overpayment actions, from July 2024 to September 2025, we conducted in-line quality reviews of almost 4,300 high-dollar overpayments exceeding $50,000. From September 2024 to September 2025, we conducted post adjudicative reviews of almost 9,400 overpayments exceeding $10,000. We make corrections to identified errors and use the analysis and findings to conduct training and issues reminders to processing center (PC) technicians. Additionally, in October 2024, we conducted a probe of recently processed overpayments to obtain a baseline accuracy, inform a further in-depth study, determine specific causes of overpayment errors, whether technicians and automated systems had difficulty processing one type of overpayment as compared to another, and to see the effects of changes made to the overpayment process based on prior quality reviews (e.g., requiring a second review for overpayments posted to a record in excess of $50,000). Based on the results of the probe, in May 2025, we began conducting a quality review of recently processed overpayments stratified by PC and providing case level feedback to the PCs. In spring 2026, we plan to provide overall accuracy findings to each PC, along with information on the errors identified, and recommendations for improvement. We are considering further reviews in FY 2026, dependent upon FY 2025 findings, available resources, and competing priorities.

We provided resources for technicians to use when reviewing and processing requests for waiver of an overpayment. In February 2025, within an existing waiver processing toolkit, we added links to live waiver training sessions and an updated overpayment waiver decision tree. In June 2025, we created the updated SSA-632-BK, Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery, to streamline the process for submitting overpayment waiver requests and improve ease of use for the public.

We are committed to ensuring beneficiaries receive all benefits due. Through the potential entitlement workload, we analyze data to determine groups of individuals where entitlement to a different record is possible, or entitlement to higher benefits on the same record is possible. While potential entitlements are generally not underpayments but rather serve as a lead to explore additional entitlement, there is some intersection between these issues. For example, we might identify a situation where a group of individuals is impacted by a systemic problem with our policy, processes or automation that results in underpayments on the current record (i.e.; benefit computation error), requiring further investigation and analysis, special outreach or handling.

In October 2024, we released a Dear Colleague Letter to advocates and published a blog, “SSA Talks: Benefits for Children (SSI and Survivors),” to announce an SSA Talks episode about the types of benefits available to children. In October 2024 and April 2025, we sent notices to beneficiaries who are receiving spousal benefits but may have sufficient earnings to be eligible for higher retirement benefits based on their own earnings; and surviving spouses who are potentially eligible for higher retirement benefits on their own accounts. We released 20,000 mailers monthly from December 16, 2024, through February 2025 to households with minor children potentially eligible for a survivor benefit. In February 2025, we released annual mailers to beneficiaries whose benefits as a divorced spouse were terminated, but they now may be eligible to receive higher benefits as a surviving divorced spouse. In FY 2026, we will continue to identify beneficiaries with potential entitlement to higher benefits and send notices to inform them. We will follow policies to develop for potential benefits and explore entitlement for applicants on other records and other classes of benefits where eligible.



In FY 2024, we published the revised Notice Language Clearance Process policy, which incorporates review and approval of notice language through the plain language and the customer experience lens. In FY 2025, we used this new policy to provide a plain language review of 22 notices.
For the root cause of overpayments due to our failure to access data or information needed (approximately $1.1 billion), our corrective actions and strategies fall within several high-level categories such as automation, training, and cross enterprise sharing. For overpayments outside the agency’s control (approximately $67.2 million), we are addressing the challenge of reliance on self-reporting by promoting timely reporting of changes impacting benefit eligibility and payment amounts and issuing reminders on reporting responsibilities.

We monitor the status of improper payment corrective actions through recurring stakeholder and senior executive meetings. We evaluated existing initiatives and developed a comprehensive approach to identify, support, and prioritize new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of improper payments. The purpose of this effort is to strategically align agencywide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments. By identifying and analyzing the root causes of the improper payments, we channel our efforts in the most efficient manner ensuring that we are fiscally responsible as we implement a corrective action plan.

We will continue to find opportunities to explore cost-effective corrective action plans based on our evaluations. However, we continue to note that the complexity of our Old-Age and Survivors Insurance program makes it extremely difficult to determine the dollar value associated with a particular corrective action.

We centralized the coordination and monitoring of agency-wide improper payment initiatives and established a framework to obtain agency wide engagement and agreement on actions needed. Through the Improper Payments Alignment Strategy (IPAS), we determined the most cost-effective strategies to remediate the root causes of leading improper payment deficiencies. We monitor, measure, and revise the strategies, as needed. We take into consideration the cost and the savings that will result from implementation of the corrective action plan. In addition to monitoring and evaluating the initiatives, we developed a comprehensive approach to identify and support new and planned reduction initiatives that target the root causes of improper payments. Combined, these efforts serve to prioritize and drive business process, policy, and automation improvements. This approach strategically aligns agency-wide initiatives that will have the most significant impact to the detection and prevention of improper payments. Through the IPAS process and the prioritization of planned reduction initiatives, we effectively implemented corrective actions that have the most impact to preventing and reducing improper payments.

We focus on efforts to address the root causes of improper payments. For improper payments within the agency’s control, we pursue workflow adjustments, policy and notice changes, training and reminders for technicians, and automation solutions to improve accuracy. For improper payments outside the agency’s control, we continue to influence change where possible.

We have a team dedicated to monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of the progress of improper payment mitigation strategies and corrective actions. We evaluated completed corrective actions to determine whether changes in the outcome could be attributed to the implementation of the corrective actions. We compared data before and after the implementation of corrective actions to determine whether we need additional actions.

Improper payments outside the agency’s control occurs when we are unable to access data needed to calculate an accurate payment. It occurs because of beneficiaries or representative payees’ failure to report changes. For example, marital status and child relationship factors are material when determining entitlement to certain auxiliary and survivor benefits. Improper payments occur due to beneficiaries failing to report changes in marital status, the agency’s inability to automate, and difficulty expanding data exchanges to include the exchange of marital information. To address these issues, we have been promoting relationship and dependency reminders on televisions in field office reception areas. As resources allow, we plan to explore options to expand the Internet Social Security Number Replacement Card’s current process and incorporate downstream application alerts to reduce instances of improper payments. Additionally, to address any errors in this area within agency control, we released a reminder to frontline technicians on checking for program entitlement when an individual changes their name due to marriage or divorce and verifying that all child-in-care information is entered in the system correctly.

Improper payments within the agency’s control can occur due to our failure to take timely and proper actions. To address these improper payments, we are investing in information technology modernization to provide our employees with user-friendly systems and tools to better serve the public, including a single unified process for benefit applications and a consolidated source with all information and agency interactions with our customers. To meet the challenges of our growing workloads and provide the best service possible, we are streamlining our policies and procedures, issuing reminders to technicians, and automating more of our business processes. We will continue to issue periodic reminders and policy clarifications, as needed.

There are some Old-Age and Survivors Insurance program improper payments that have historically been caused by actions both outside of and within agency control. For example, the Social Security Act used to include two provisions – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) – that reduced or offset Social Security monthly benefits to beneficiaries who receive a pension based on non-covered earnings. On January 5, 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 was signed into law, thereby repealing WEP/GPO. December 2023 is the last month that WEP and GPO will apply. This means that those rules no longer apply to benefits payable for January 2024 and later. We anticipate the WEP/GPO repeal will significantly reduce and eventually eliminate WEP/GPO improper payments in future years.

Payment type Mitigation strategies taken Mitigation strategies planned
Overpayments Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Change Process, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Statutory Change, Training Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training
Underpayments Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Statutory Change, Training Audit, Automation, Behavioral/Psych Influence, Cross Enterprise Sharing, Predictive Analytics, Training

Eligibility element/information needed Description of the eligbility element/information
Age The biological age of the recipient/beneficiary
Citizenship Recognized as a United States citizen through birth or naturalization, or as a lawfully present non-citizen in the United States
Death Date of death of the recipient/beneficiary
Employment The employment status of the recipient/beneficiary
Military Status The condition of being, or having been in the uniformed services
Receiving Benefits from Other Sources Beneficiary or recipient is receiving benefits from an additional source

Additional information

The annual sample in our Stewardship Reviews is sufficient to provide statistically reliable data on the overall payment accuracy. However, the annual sample does not provide statistically reliable information about individual deficiencies in a given year; therefore, we use an average of a 5-year period. The data call is based on fiscal year (FY) 2024 (single year) stewardship findings.

We issued $1.3 trillion in Old-Age and Survivors Insurance benefit payments in FY 2024; even the slightest error in the overall payment process can result in billions of dollars in improper payments. It is important to note that we maintain a high payment accuracy rate. As good stewards of our programs and as required by law, we continue our quality reviews, cost-effective program integrity work, and payment accuracy efforts to ensure individuals receive the benefits for which they are eligible.

Reduction target

0.4 %

Internal Controls: We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. Our existing internal control environment and assurance processes provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board, consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide.

Human Capital: Our program integrity work is labor-intensive and dependent on having the necessary trained staff to do the work. For the most part, our employees who handle our program integrity work also handle applications for benefits and other mission-critical work. Sustained, sufficient funding is critical to maintain the workforce necessary to balance our service and stewardship work.

Information Systems: Our staff rely on our information technology (IT) infrastructure to serve the public and safeguard our programs. Our technology modernization investments focus on simple, seamless, and secure service by delivering customer-centric digital capabilities with human-centered design, business intelligence, and mobile accessible platforms. We plan on continuing to implement new digital services that focus on enhancing the customer experience and removing barriers to service to meet the needs and preferences of our customers, partners, and employees. We are prioritizing self-service options to improve customer service while reducing manual work completed by frontline staff. Sustained, sufficient funding is necessary to continue to modernize our IT.

Other Infrastructure: Cybersecurity is vital to protecting the personally identifiable information of everyone we serve. Maintaining the public’s trust in our ability to protect sensitive data housed in our systems requires advanced cybersecurity controls, constant assessment of the threat landscape, and continual improvements and enhancements of our cybersecurity program. Our cybersecurity program uses a risk-based approach to balance protection and productivity and focuses on continuous improvement. We are expanding our cybersecurity program in support of Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, and Office of Management and Budget Memorandum 22-09, Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles. In addition, we are strengthening our digital identity processes to comply with the Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act.

Our cybersecurity efforts help us to maintain our vigilance and protect against network intrusions and improper access of data by strengthening our defensive cyber capabilities, sharing cyber threat information with our Federal and industry partners, and moving toward a Zero Trust Architecture that focuses on the secure flow of information from the network perimeter across the enterprise.

The Fiscal Year 2026 President’s Budget included resources for internal controls to prevent improper payments. As part of our stewardship responsibilities and our efforts to reduce improper payments, we also requested $2.397 billion in dedicated funding for program integrity activities. Many of the tools we use, such as our medical Continuing Disability Reviews, Supplemental Security Income redeterminations, and the Cooperative Disability Investigations program, save billions of program dollars with a proportionally small investment of administrative resources.

We are committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring the public has confidence that we manage their tax dollars wisely. We demonstrate a commitment to sound management practices. To ensure stewardship and the efficient administration of our programs, we have established performance measures in our Annual Performance Plan for fiscal years (FY) 2025–2026 to track our progress. Under the third focus area, “Fight Fraud and Waste,” there are two performance measures directly related to reduction of improper payments: Improve the integrity of the Supplemental Security Income program by focusing our efforts on reducing overpayments; and Maintain a high payment accuracy rate by reducing overpayments in the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program.

We hold managers, program officials, and senior executives accountable for reducing improper payments. These employees’ annual performance plans reflect their responsibility to support efforts to maintain sufficient internal controls to prevent, detect, and recover improper payments and meet targets to reduce improper payments. In FY 2025, we revised the Manages Performance element to incorporate “Holding Employees Accountable” as a requirement for all managers and supervisors. To achieve a successful performance rating, managers and supervisors must now meet this standard.

We assess managers throughout the agency on these standards each year and hold them accountable for meeting improper payment reduction targets. Each agency department adds expectations that are more detailed for their positions describing what is expected for meeting these performance standards.

If management or employees do not meet established performance expectations, they may be placed on an Opportunity to Perform Successfully. Failure to demonstrate improvement may result in an unsuccessful performance rating, which could lead to demotion or removal from Federal service.

Senior Executive performance plans must clearly align with organizational goals and objectives under the Results Driven Critical Element. Performance levels in the performance requirements must reflect agency targets.

We established the Improper Payments Oversight Board (IPOB), consisting of senior executive membership, to ensure that we are focusing on improper payment prevention, formulating clear and innovative strategies, and driving timely results agency-wide. The Chief Risk Officer or their designee serves as the executive chair for the IPOB. To further our focus on reducing improper payments, in FY 2019, we established an Improper Payments Prevention Team, now the Improper Payments team. The team worked with key agency stakeholders to develop Improper Payments Alignment Strategies (IPAS) that outline innovative and effective strategies to mitigate the root causes of improper payments. As part of our IPAS, we evaluated the effectiveness of each planned or ongoing mitigation initiative. We will continue pursuing cost-effective strategies to remediate the underlying causes of payment errors and monitor, measure, and revise the strategies, as needed. IPOB is responsible for reviewing, approving, and implementing all improper payment initiatives.

We have a strong internal control environment that has always included controls over our benefit payment and debt management processes. We directly leverage our existing internal control environment and assurance processes to provide reasonable assurance that our internal controls over improper payments are in place and operating effectively.

As part of our internal control environment, we have a well-established, agency-wide management control program as required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.

The effective internal controls we incorporate into our business processes and financial management systems, as well as the program integrity efforts, support our Commissioner’s annual assurance statement to the President and Congress.

In April 2019, we established the Enterprise Fraud Risk Management (EFRM) program to systematically assess fraud risks across our major programmatic and administrative areas. Through our EFRM program we have conducted multiple fraud risk assessments on key areas such as Disability, Electronic Services, Administrative Services, and the Representative Payee program. After each fraud risk assessment, our senior executives review each fraud risk and determine whether our controls are effective or whether we need to develop additional controls to further reduce the risk. For each risk designated as “reduce” by our executives, we develop additional mitigation strategies to further prevent or detect the fraud. The risk response and the designated mitigation strategies form the basis of the fraud risk profile for each fraud area.

We completed a maintenance fraud risk assessment of agency’s Administrative Services during FY 2024 and continued the reassessment of the disability fraud risk profile, consistent with the Government Accountability Office guidance, to reassess fraud risk profiles on a three-year cycle. We also finalized the Fraud Risk Profiles for the Enumeration program at the end of calendar year 2023.

For recovery of overpayments, in March 2025, we resumed use of the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) after suspending it in March 2020 because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From March-September 2025, we collected approximately $60 million from those who were notified of TOP debt referral prior to program suspension. We resumed sending pre-offset notices for all debt incurred after March 2020, beginning in August 2025.

We changed the benefit withholding rate for OASDI overpayments to 50 percent. Beginning April 25, 2025, we informed overpaid individuals that we will begin recovering their overpayment by withholding 50 percent of their benefit amount. This rate replaces the previous benefit withholding rate of 10 percent that was implemented on March 25, 2024. If an individual was notified of an overpayment prior to April 25, 2025, they will retain the 10 percent withholding rate unless we notify them of a new overpayment. There will be limited exceptions to this change, such as when an overpayment resulted from fraud.

$470.18 M