The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reported significant accomplishments in preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse, and strengthening SSA programs during the period of October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The OIG's efforts resulted in nearly $202 million in monetary accomplishments from investigations and identified over $77 million in potential cost savings from audits.
The Office of Investigations (OI) secured 232 indictments or criminal informations and 228 convictions, contributing to almost $202 million in monetary accomplishments, including court-ordered restitutions and estimated savings. OI referred 694 individuals to the U.S. Department of Justice and 92 to state and local prosecutors. Notable cases included a Virginia man sentenced for misusing a Social Security Number (SSN), a Mexican national convicted for Retirement and Survivors Insurance (RSI) benefit fraud, and a Missouri man sentenced for neglecting a veteran and concealing his corpse to collect benefits. The OI also played a role in task forces like the Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Task Force (SBTF) and the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), established by President Donald J. Trump.
The Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Program continued its significant impact, saving taxpayers a cumulative $8.5 billion since its inception. During this reporting period, a $24.6 million Congressional appropriation supported an estimated $120 million in government savings, representing a $5 return for every dollar appropriated. CDI units led to 742 disability claims being denied or ceased, resulting in $57.2 million in projected savings for SSA programs and an additional $62.9 million for non-SSA programs.
The Office of Audit (OA) issued 14 reports, identifying nearly $13 million in questioned costs and more than $64 million in funds put to better use. The number of unimplemented audit recommendations significantly decreased from 265 to 137, the lowest level in over eight years, leading to potential taxpayer benefits of billions of dollars. Audit recommendations focused on improving service delivery, protecting data, modernizing IT, and enhancing disability program administration. For instance, SSA's national 800-number telephone service improved, serving 68 million callers, a 65 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, with the Average Speed of Answer (ASA) decreasing to 7 minutes by September 2025.
Beyond investigations and audits, the OIG actively combated Social Security-related imposter scams through public outreach and education. The 7th annual National Slam the Scam Day was co-led with SSA on March 5, 2026, an initiative supported by a U.S. Senate resolution passed on April 15, 2026. The OIG also enforced consumer protection laws, leading to the removal of an imposter social media profile and securing voluntary compliance from companies to prevent misleading communications. These ongoing efforts aim to further enhance service delivery, improve claims processing accuracy, and strengthen the protection of personally identifiable information.