Noteboom The Law Firm

SSA Forced to Repay Victims of Fugitive Felon Program

By now you know that the Fugitive Felon program was started to ensure that those with a felony under their belt do not get Social Security disability benefits. As discussed before, a glitch in the computer system incorrectly withheld benefits from thousands of people who should never have been accused of committing felonies.

Fortunately, the Social Security Administration has been forced by a class action lawsuit to pay over $500 million in benefits. To help prevent this same mistake from occurring again, the SSA states that it will only consider suspending payments when there is a warrant due to escape or flight. Hopefully, this means that no future glitches will prevent people from getting their rightful money in the future.

One 69-year-old man was affected by the issue when he was accused of accepting unemployment benefits in 1988. The problem here was that he never even applied for unemployment, and thus had no idea about the warrant. Nonetheless, his Social Security disability payments were stopped in early 2006 due to the mistake.

The glitch affected more than 200,000 people who had been receiving Social Security disability benefits. Initially, when their payments were stopped, the SSA also demanded that they pay back any benefits they had received before the warrant was found out about. Since the error was fixed, the SSA will not be requesting the back payments after all, of course.

The SSA is run by people, so they are prone to make mistakes. If you receive any notice in the mail that you believe is incorrect, contact your lawyer immediately. Whether you take issue with a statement that is grossly inaccurate, or one that is just misleading or not based on updated information, you need to get it fixed right away before your payments are interrupted due to a misunderstanding or computer glitch.

If you or your loved one are suffering from a severe physical or mental disability, you should contact a Social Security Disability lawyer immediately to learn about your rights and determine eligibility. The process of securing Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can be difficult and overwhelming. Don't go it alone! The disability lawyers at LaVan & Neidenberg, located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL understand the inner workings of the Social Security Administration and will help you navigate the system. Call us today for a FREE legal consultation - 1-888-234-5758.