The program helps prevent criminals from controlling or usurping recipients’ disability benefits on behalf of vulnerable adults. The program began in 2012 in Pennsylvania in response to the “Tacony dungeon case” wherein authorities rescued disabled individuals from a local basement. In that matter, five defendants purportedly held vulnerable individuals in captivity in an effort to collect Social Security benefits owed to the victims. The defendants now face serious federal charges for purportedly perpetuating a scheme to lock up disabled individuals and pocket their Social Security money.
Now, the new program, which has been nationally expanded, utilizes “representative payees,” who assist with the collection process for disabled individuals unable to manage their own benefits. However, persons cannot be a “representative payee” if they have a criminal history involving any of the following offenses:
- Robbery
- Kidnapping
- Sexual assault
- Human trafficking
- False imprisonment
- Identity theft
- Fraud by scheme
- Theft of government money or property
- First-degree homicide
- Fraud to collect government assistance
- Abuse or neglect
- Forgery
Unfortunately, Social Security workers cannot access the FBI’s official criminal database. Instead, the agency must rely on public documents, records and third-party databases that may be unreliable and incomplete. Only official records encompass detailed information.
