Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin and the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of Inspector General, today announced the establishment of a Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Unit to investigate and prevent fraud in SSA's disability programs before benefits are ever paid.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of Attorney General and the SSA, Office of Inspector General, the Unit will be staffed with two full-time investigators, fully-funded by the SSA.
The CDI Unit will investigate Social Security disability claims that State disability examiners find suspicious or lacking evidence they need to make an accurate decision. CDI investigators gather information to help disability examiners decide whether to approve or deny benefits. CDI Units also investigate individual disability claims and identify lawyers, doctors, translators, or other third parties who facilitate disability fraud.
The results of these investigations are presented to the State's Disability Determination Services for their use in making timely and accurate disability determinations. CDI findings are also, at times, sent to state and federal authorities for consideration of prosecution.
"Combating fraud in our social service and safety net programs continues to be a priority for my Office," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "This investigative unit will allow us to identity potential fraud before it happens, saving taxpayer dollars and bringing greater integrity to our disability programs. It is a much more cost effective approach to identity and prevent fraud before it takes place than it is to chase down those who have committed fraud after benefits are stolen."
"For 17 years, CDI has had tremendous success in identifying and preventing disability fraud and abuse," said Social Security Inspector General Patrick P. O'Carroll, Jr. "We're very pleased to partner with the Office of Attorney General to expand our efforts to combat fraud and to ensure the integrity of Social Security's disability programs for the citizens of Rhode Island."
The CDI program was established in 1998 and is designed as a joint effort to allow federal and state agencies to pool resources for the purpose of preventing fraud in SSA's disability programs, and related federal and state programs. Rhode Island is the 24th state to participate in the CDI program. For more information on the CDI program, click here.
Members of the public who would like to report potential disability fraud should call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1 (800) 269-0271 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST or visit its website to report online at http://oig.ssa.gov/report-fraud-waste-or-abuse.