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Social Security IG: Retroactive Benefits Paid to Child Beneficiaries
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 052406) on June 24, 2026 entitled "Retroactive Benefits Paid to Child Beneficiaries."
Here are excerpts:
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MEMORANDUM
Date: June 24, 2026
Refer to: 052406
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant
Subject: Retroactive Benefits Paid to Child Beneficiaries
The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit's review. The objective was to determine whether the Social Security
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 052406) on June 24, 2026 entitled "Retroactive Benefits Paid to Child Beneficiaries."
Here are excerpts:
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MEMORANDUM
Date: June 24, 2026
Refer to: 052406
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant
Subject: Retroactive Benefits Paid to Child Beneficiaries
The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit's review. The objective was to determine whether the Social SecurityAdministration properly paid retroactive payments to child beneficiaries receiving Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits.
Please provide within 60 days a corrective action plan that addresses each recommendation. If you wish to discuss the final report, please call me or have your staff contact Jeffrey Brown, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit.
Objective
To determine whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) properly paid retroactive payments to child beneficiaries receiving Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits.
Background
To be eligible for benefits, a child must have a parent who (1) is retired or has a disability and is entitled to Social Security benefits or (2) has died after having worked long enough under Social Security to be insured. The child must be younger than 18, a full-time student age 18 or 19, or any age with a disability that began before the child turned age 22.
A child may receive retroactive benefits up to 6 months before the application filing date on the record of a retired or deceased number holder, or 12 months before the application filing date on the record of a number holder receiving disability benefits.
From 1 of 20 segments of the Master Beneficiary Record, we identified 31,836 child beneficiaries who may have been eligible for retroactive payments; whose initial benefit entitlements began after January 2005; and whose benefits were not terminated as of May 2024. From this population, we selected a random sample of 150 individuals for review.
Results
Of the 150 beneficiaries in our sample, SSA employees
* properly paid retroactive benefits to 104 beneficiaries (69 percent) and
* improperly paid retroactive benefits to 46 beneficiaries (31 percent).
We estimate SSA improperly under- or overpaid about 195,260 beneficiaries a total of approximately $760 million because SSA employees improperly determined beneficiaries' retroactive benefit amount or benefit periods. We were unable to determine why employees incorrectly performed these functions.
Conclusion
SSA can improve the accuracy in determining retroactive benefits to child beneficiaries. Without improvements, the Agency will likely continue to incorrectly determine the retroactive benefits these beneficiaries are entitled to and, consequently, under- or overpay them.
When SSA underpays beneficiaries, the beneficiaries' financial well-being may be impacted. Conversely, when the Agency overpays beneficiaries, they are generally required to repay the overpayments, which can cause additional financial burdens on the beneficiaries and their families. When SSA underpays or overpays beneficiaries, the Agency must use resources to pay or recover the funds. Moreover, when beneficiaries are overpaid, the Agency may not be able to fully recover the funds. In addition, improper determinations may cause delays in the child beneficiaries' entitlements to Medicare benefits, which may result in their families incurring medical expenses that should have been covered by the child's Medicare benefits.
Recommendations
We recommended SSA pay any retroactive benefits to the beneficiaries as appropriate, and identify the factors that contribute to employee errors and implement appropriate corrective actions.
SSA agreed with our recommendations.
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The report is posted at: https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/052406.pdf
Social Security IG: Beneficiaries Incorrectly Recorded as Deceased
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 032311) on June 24, 2026 entitled "Beneficiaries Incorrectly Recorded as Deceased."
Here is the memorandum:
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Date: June 24, 2026
Refer To: 032311
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First
Assistant Subject: Beneficiaries Incorrectly Recorded as Deceased The attached final report presents the Office of Audit's results of the subject engagement.
The objective was to determine whether the Social Security
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 032311) on June 24, 2026 entitled "Beneficiaries Incorrectly Recorded as Deceased."
Here is the memorandum:
* * *
Date: June 24, 2026
Refer To: 032311
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First
Assistant Subject: Beneficiaries Incorrectly Recorded as Deceased The attached final report presents the Office of Audit's results of the subject engagement.
The objective was to determine whether the Social SecurityAdministration complied with its policies for correcting living beneficiaries recorded as deceased from January 2020 through December 2024. We are not making formal recommendations for corrective action, and the Agency can act in response to this information as it deems appropriate.
If you wish to discuss the final report, please call me or have your staff contact Jeffrey Brown, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit.
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The report is posted at: https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/032311.pdf
Social Security IG: Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 042303) on June 29, 2026 entitled "Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding."
Here are excerpts:
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MEMORANDUM
Date: June 29, 2026
Refer to: 042303
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant
Subject: Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding
The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit's review. The objective was to determine whether the Social Security
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The Social Security Administration Inspector General issued an audit report (No. 042303) on June 29, 2026 entitled "Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 29, 2026
Refer to: 042303
To: Frank Bisignano, Commissioner
From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant
Subject: Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding
The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit's review. The objective was to determine whether the Social SecurityAdministration correctly processed administrative sanctions and recovered related overpayments.
Please provide within 60 days a corrective action plan that addresses each recommendation. If you wish to discuss the final report, please call me or have your staff contact Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit.
Objective
To determine whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) correctly processed administrative sanctions and recovered related overpayments.
Background
SSA may impose an administrative sanction when an individual commits fraud, makes a false or misleading statement, or fails to report information that is material in determining Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility, continuing eligibility, or calculating payments.
A field office employee makes the sanction determination. When SSA imposes a sanction, it withholds current or future benefits. For individuals who receive both OASDI and SSI benefits, the sanction applies to both programs. If the individual is not receiving benefits, SSA defers imposing the sanction until the first month's benefit is due.
If a sanctionable action results in an overpayment, SSA may recover the overpayment by withholding current or future monthly benefits due the individual. When fraud or similar fault contributed to the creation of the overpayment, SSA will withhold the individual's full benefit amount to recover the overpayment.
We reviewed 2 random samples for a total of 225 individuals referred for potential sanction between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2022.
Results
Of 225 sampled individuals, we did not identify errors on sanctions for 57 (25 percent) based on our review of available evidence. However, SSA employees and systems made errors on sanctions for 168 (75 percent). Based on our sample results, we estimate SSA employees and systems made errors when they processed sanctions for 1,921 individuals, with errors that resulted in SSA improperly paying 454 individuals $49.6 million. Employees also made errors when they documented sanctions for an estimated 3,532 individuals. Without adequate documentation, SSA could not effectively monitor whether employees took required actions and may not be able to support its sanction actions if individuals challenge the Agency's decisions. Specifically, we found employees:
* Withheld benefits for the wrong months, for an inappropriate duration, or before appeal rights expired.
* Should have suspended benefits to impose sanctions for individuals who were receiving benefits but did not.
* Did not adequately document sanctions' development, determinations, and approvals or add required language to SSA records about imposed or deferred sanctions.
* Did not send correct and/or complete initial sanction determination notices or benefit suspension notices.
* Did not recover overpayments in accordance with policy for individuals whom SSA overpaid because of a sanctionable event, such as failing to report a marriage or income.
Conclusion
SSA can improve how it processes and documents sanctions and ensure it pursues full recovery of overpayments resulting from sanctionable events. In doing so, SSA can help maintain the integrity of its programs, ensuring sanctions remain an effective tool to prevent and respond to fraud.
Recommendations
We made seven recommendations for SSA to improve controls over administrative sanctions processing and related overpayment recovery, including updating its policies and improving system interfaces, edits, and/or automated alerts. SSA agreed to implement our recommendations.
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The report is posted at: https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/042303.pdf
SBA IG: SBA's Handling of Disaster Assistance Loan Real Estate Foreclosures
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 26-11) on June 23, 2026 entitled "SBA's Handling of Disaster Assistance Loan Real Estate Foreclosures."
Here are excerpts:
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The Office of Inspector General is issuing this audit report to evaluate the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) foreclosure process from when a loan is placed in liquidation.
We found that SBA 1) abandoned the pursuit of foreclosure on real estate collateral for 72 properties in which the recoverable value exceeded the foreclosure threshold,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 26-11) on June 23, 2026 entitled "SBA's Handling of Disaster Assistance Loan Real Estate Foreclosures."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
The Office of Inspector General is issuing this audit report to evaluate the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) foreclosure process from when a loan is placed in liquidation.
We found that SBA 1) abandoned the pursuit of foreclosure on real estate collateral for 72 properties in which the recoverable value exceeded the foreclosure threshold,2) unnecessarily increased some borrowers' principal loan balances by an average of $525 because outstanding requests for property reports and appraisals were not canceled even though a borrower had requested a workout and made a good faith payment, and 3) did not have controls in place to prevent the sale of real estate collateral to SBA employees, vendors, or their close relatives and associates.
We made five recommendations for SBA to maximize recovery of real estate collateral and strengthen internal controls in its real estate foreclosure process.
SBA disagreed with Recommendations 1, 2, and 5, agreed with Recommendation 4, and partially agreed with Recommendation 3.
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The report is posted at: https://www.sba.gov/document/report-26-11-sbas-handling-disaster-assistance-loan-real-estate-foreclosures
[Category: IGIGRep]
Postal Service IG: Origin-Destination Information System: Revenue, Pieces, and Weight
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 25-114-R26) on June 22, 2026 entitled "Origin-Destination Information System: Revenue, Pieces, and Weight."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
Origin-Destination Information System: Revenue, Pieces, and Weight (ODIS-RPW) is the U.S. Postal Service's primary statistical sampling program used to assist in estimating the national revenue, volume, and weight for mail and parcels by category and class on a quarterly and annual basis. The Postal Service uses ODIS-RPW data to plan and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 25-114-R26) on June 22, 2026 entitled "Origin-Destination Information System: Revenue, Pieces, and Weight."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Background
Origin-Destination Information System: Revenue, Pieces, and Weight (ODIS-RPW) is the U.S. Postal Service's primary statistical sampling program used to assist in estimating the national revenue, volume, and weight for mail and parcels by category and class on a quarterly and annual basis. The Postal Service uses ODIS-RPW data to plan andbudget; forecast volume, workloads, and overall productivity; conduct management studies; design processing facilities and equipment; and develop rate-setting proposals. The Postal Service has handbooks, guides, and other documentation that establish the policies and procedures to ensure consistent and accurate collection of ODIS-RPW data.
The ODIS-RPW sampling process is divided into two stages. In the first stage, a statistical sample is selected from mail and parcels leaving the postal system on a specific day at defined exit points. In the second stage, data collectors conduct ODIS-RPW tests for selected exit points as either a digital or on-site test.
What We Did
Our objective was to determine whether the Postal Service conducted ODIS-RPW statistical tests in accordance with established policies and procedures. We reviewed 50 digital tests and seven on-site tests, as well as interviewed Postal Service management to gain an understanding of the ODIS-RPW process.
What We Found
We found data collectors generally recorded most mailpiece data correctly during ODIS-RPW tests conducted during fiscal year 2026 quarter (Q)1 and Q2, though we found some exceptions. We identified opportunities to use emerging technology and make changes to the existing systems used to conduct tests to reduce exceptions. In addition, we found testing facility records were not always updated timely by the Postal Service prior to sample selection.
Recommendations and Management's Comments
We made three recommendations to address the issues identified in the report. Postal Service management agreed with the recommendations, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) considers management's comments responsive. Management's comments and our evaluation are at the end of each finding and recommendation.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/reports/audit-reports/origin-destination-information-system-revenue-pieces-and-weight
Postal Service IG: Effectiveness of Mail Transported by Air
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 26-033) on July 1, 2026 entitled "Effectiveness of Mail Transported by Air."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
As part of its Delivering for America plan, the U.S. Postal Service announced several initiatives to improve transportation efficiency and decrease air transportation. The Postal Service estimated annual savings from these initiatives of about $1.1 billion from surface transportation, and $701 million from air transportation. In October 2021, the Postal Service extended
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 7 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 26-033) on July 1, 2026 entitled "Effectiveness of Mail Transported by Air."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Background
As part of its Delivering for America plan, the U.S. Postal Service announced several initiatives to improve transportation efficiency and decrease air transportation. The Postal Service estimated annual savings from these initiatives of about $1.1 billion from surface transportation, and $701 million from air transportation. In October 2021, the Postal Service extendedFirst-Class Mail delivery standards to allow more volume to travel by surface and adjusted its primary air cargo contract in September 2024, to align with these initiatives. However, despite these changes, the Postal Service has increasingly relied on the air network to transport First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail.
What We Did
Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail transported by the air network. We analyzed air-assigned volume, service performance, and transportation costs. Additionally, we judgmentally selected four air stop locations and 12 associated mail processing facilities to conduct observations and interviews.
What We Found
While the Postal Service has reduced overall transportation expenses, its new air cargo contract is not aligned with volume trends and network changes. The Postal Service did not properly forecast declining package volumes or impacts of subsequent network changes when establishing the volume requirements of its new air cargo contract. As a result, the Postal Service made the decision to transport First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail by air to avoid paying premiums. While the new contract offers benefits for the Postal Service, the volume requirement leaves the Postal Service with little choice but to fly First-Class Mail -- even though this contradicts previous decisions to extend delivery standards to allow for surface transport -- simply to meet contractual minimums and avoid even higher expenses. With the contract's long duration and the continued difficulty of meeting minimum volumes without relying on First-Class Mail, the Postal Service may want to assess its options moving forward, including whether the current agreement remains the most effective approach.
Recommendations and Management's Comments
We made two recommendations to address issues with planning and forecasting and to align the air cargo contract with network changes. Postal Service management agreed with one recommendation and disagreed with the other. Management's comments and our evaluation are at the end of the finding and recommendations. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) considers management's comments responsive to recommendation 1 as corrective actions should resolve the issues. We will pursue recommendation 2 through the audit resolution process.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/reports/audit-reports/effectiveness-mail-transported-air
Amtrak to Hold Public Board of Directors Meeting
WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak to Hold Public Board of Directors Meeting
*
WASHINGTON - The Amtrak Board of Directors will convene a meeting on July 29, 2026, which will be available via public livestream.
Amtrak executives will brief the Board on the company's financial and operational performance and provide updates on major initiatives and ongoing priorities.
WHO: Amtrak Board of Directors
WHAT: Board Meeting: open to virtual public viewing
WHEN: Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. ET
WHERE:
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak to Hold Public Board of Directors Meeting
*
WASHINGTON - The Amtrak Board of Directors will convene a meeting on July 29, 2026, which will be available via public livestream.
Amtrak executives will brief the Board on the company's financial and operational performance and provide updates on major initiatives and ongoing priorities.
WHO: Amtrak Board of Directors
WHAT: Board Meeting: open to virtual public viewing
WHEN: Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. ET
WHERE:Virtual attendance only
HOW: Registration is required in advance ; access details will be provided ahead of the meeting.
For more information about the Amtrak Board of Directors, please visit amtrak.com/board-of-directors.
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Original text here: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/07/amtrak-to-hold-public-board-of-directors-meeting-3/
