By Warren Beck, Social Security District Manager in Syracuse
Financial crime against older Americans is a growing problem. People living with dementia are at an especially high risk of becoming victims. That’s why we’re committed to combatting fraud.
As their memory and other thinking skills decline, people with dementia may struggle to make financial decisions. They may not remember or report the abuse — or understand that someone is taking advantage of them. This abuse can occur anywhere — including at home or in care settings.
Victims of fraud who are 80 years and older lose an average of $39,200 every year.
Studies show that financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse. However, only a small fraction of these incidents is reported.
You can help protect others by learning to recognize common signs of financial exploitation and abuse, including:
• Unopened bills.
• Unusual or large purchases.
• Utilities being shut off due to unpaid bills.
• Money given to telemarketers or soliciting companies.
• Unexplained withdrawals from the person’s bank account.
There are also many simple things that caregivers can do to reduce the risk of financial abuse for people with dementia and similar conditions, like Alzheimer’s. Do your best to make sure they’re involved in deciding which safety measures to put into place.
Some options include:
• Agreeing to spending limits on credit cards.
• Signing up for the “Do Not Call” list at DoNotCall.gov.
• Setting up auto-pay for bills instead of paying them by check.
• Signing up to receive automatic notifications for withdrawals from bank accounts or large charges to credit cards.
• Requesting electronic bank and credit card statements and watching for unusual purchases or changes in how the person typically spends money.
• Asking credit card companies to stop sending balance transfer checks and opting out of future solicitations.
• Creating a separate account where you can keep a small, agreed-upon amount of money that the person can use for recreational activities, meals with friends, etc.
To learn more about combating elder abuse, visit our blog at https://blog.ssa.gov/world-elder-abuse-awareness-day-combating-injustice/.
Please share this with those who may need it.
Q&A
Q: I worked for many years before I became disabled, but I didn’t have enough recent work to receive Social Security Disability (SSDI) payments. Instead, I receive SSI. Will I ever receive Social Security payments?
A: It depends. If you have at least 40 quarters of coverage, you can be eligible for Social Security retirement payments beginning at age 62. Additionally, if you are performing some work while you are on SSI, you may become currently insured for disability payments in the future. There are other ways you could become eligible for Social Security benefits, including benefits through a spouse or a divorced spouse. For more information, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office.
Q: My husband has been in poor health for some time and doctors have recently diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)–commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I’ve heard Social Security has a “fast track” for some people who are disabled. Would you tell me about it?
A: We have two processes to fast track applications for disability benefits. Our compassionate allowances initiative allows us to fast track certain cases of individuals with very severe disabilities. There are dozens of different types of disabilities that qualify for this expedited decision, including ALS, and that list continues to expand. Learn more about compassionate allowances and see the full list of conditions at www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances.
Another way we speed up decisions is with our quick disability determinations initiative, which uses technology to identify applicants who have the most severe disabilities and allows us to expedite our decisions on those cases. Read more about quick disability determinations at www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/qdd.htm.