Neighbor wants to report disability fraud
Dear Amy: When I moved to my new home a few years ago, my neighbor told me that she'd had multiple back surgeries. She is in her mid-50s and does not work.
She does, however, shovel three feet of snow from her roof, uses a rototiller in her yard, lugs mounds of leave, etc.
From conversations and from what I've witnessed, it is my understanding that she is on disability.
It is disturbing to be contributing financially for her welfare via my tax dollars, when it is obvious that she's very able-bodied. Additionally, she is an ever-present annoyance who is unable to respect boundaries, even after we've repeatedly asked her to respect our space. One of her dogs bit my husband in our yard. She can be spiteful and has temper tantrums.
The bottom line is that it's highly likely that I contribute to her well-being (through disability), just so she can make our lives uncomfortable.
I'd like your take on this. I've taken a few photos showing her physical abilities -- just in case. Should I bring it to the attention of the Department of Social Security?
I suspect this is a common issue facing many people.
-- Upset Neighbor
Dear Neighbor: Your neighbor's back surgeries have evidently been successful -- hence her impressive physical abilities. You suspect (but don't know) that she is on disability, but, if so, understand that her disability payments might be unrelated to her back surgeries, but related to a different illness or disability.
This is from the HHS.gov website: "You can report disability fraud to the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General Hotline at:1-800-269-0271 or the website: oig.ssa.gov (do a keyword search for "fraud, waste, and abuse").
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