When attorneys see that a client has been the subject of a “cooperative disability investigation”, our hearts sink.
Social Security describes these investigations as“one of our most successful initiatives, contributing to the integrity of SSA’s disability programs.”
The program was created in 1998. Its purpose is to prevent fraud, a goal that no-one can argue with.
The problem is that the mere existence of an investigation in a disability case can cause a judge to conclude that where there’s smoke, there must have been fire.
But that’s not always the case.
These investigations can be caused by anyone raising an issue. That’s right. Your unhappy next-door-neighbor or angry ex-spouse can call and say that you are committing fraud and an investigation will at least be initiated. Now it may not go on from there but there will never be a statement in your file that the investigation was closed or called off, only that it was initiated.
More on how to know whether you’re being investigated in my next blog post.