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investigation · Cooperative Disabilities Investigation
Background . . .
The The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Office of the
Inspector General (OIG), and Disability Determination Services (DDS),
administer the Cooperative Disability Investigation (CDI) project.
The program consists of 19 CDI Units (CDIU) nationwide, whose mission
is to obtain evidence of material fact sufficient to resolve questions
of fraud in SSA’s disability programs. This supports the Agency’s
strategic goal of ensuring the integrity of Social Security programs,
with zero tolerance for fraud.
Since 1998, CDI Units have been established
in Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles and Oakland, CA; Denver, CO; Tampa, FL;
Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Baton Rouge, LA; Boston, MA; St. Louis,
MO; Iselin, NJ; New York, NY; Cleveland, OH; Salem, OR; Nashville,
TN; Dallas and Houston, TX; Richmond, VA; Seattle, WA, to combat
Social Security fraud.
Seattle is one of the newer CDI Units established
in the program. Authorized in March of 2002, the Unit began operations
in December 2002, with employees from the Washington Disability Determination
Services (DDS) and the Washington State Patrol staffing the unit.
The
Seattle Unit finished the October 2006 to September 2007 Federal
fiscal year as the top CDIU (out of 19) in the nation for combined
savings identified. As a result, the unit was nominated for, and
received, the prestigious National SSA Commissioner's Team Award,
an award rarely given to groups outside the SSA. The award was presented
to the unit by the SSA Commissioner in Baltimore, Maryland.
 CDIU Purpose
Facilitating timely and accurate decisions made by the DDS, by gathering evidence to support or refute suspicious claims, and prosecuting individuals and/or groups who knowingly facilitate and/or promote fraudulent disability claims.
Unreported Work Activity
- Anonymous Tips > Obtain specifics; place of work or information on others who may know about the work.
- Repeat Offenders > Patterns of seasonal work or several months of work with no recent medical review.
- Claimant’s Appearance > Things being out of place with one’s personal appearance and/or one’s personal property (logos on vehicles).
CDIU Focus
The majority of referrals to the CDIU are from DDS employees spotting irregularities while processing claims, and continuing disability reviews (CDRs). However, the CDIU will accept referrals from anyone and/or source of information.
In a partnership with SSA, Washington State Patrol detectives conduct the investigative portion of the case, while DDS analysts develop documentation to support or refute the legitimacy of the claim. The OIG for the SSA supervises the activities of the CDIU and ensures appropriate action is taken on each claim in question.
If sufficient information and evidence is obtained, the case is
presented to either a US Attorney or a local District Attorney for
prosecution. If a referral does not warrant a criminal charge, civil
or administrative remedies may be pursued.
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