Inaccurate Fund Transfers Between Social Security Administration and Railroad Retirement Board
HRD-83-2
Published: Apr 04, 1983. Publicly Released: Apr 04, 1983.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
GAO reviewed the financial interchange whereby the Social Security Administration (SSA) has paid more than $17 billion to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) since 1958.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should direct the Commissioner of Social Security to periodically review how accurately RRB calculates social security benefit amounts. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of HHS should direct the Commissioner of Social Security to train RRB personnel who calculate social security benefits in the proper application of social security rules and regulations. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of HHS should direct the Commissioner of Social Security, in cooperation with the Chairman of RRB, to lower the error tolerance limits applied to financial interchange sample calculations. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information..
|
| Railroad Retirement Board | The Chairman of RRB should direct that a composite estimator be used to calculate the average benefit amount for the RRB sample cases. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In subsequent official notification, both RRB and HHS advised GAO that, based on addtional discussions, they will not accept this recommendation.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of HHS should direct the Commissioner of Social Security, in cooperation with the Chairman of RRB, to correct all amounts transferred due to administrative expense errors affecting past interchanges where supporting data are available. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of HHS should direct the Commissioner of Social Security, in cooperation with the Chairman of RRB, to coordinate their action to develop appropriate cost and workload factors for use in calculating the interchange administrative expense estimates. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Chairman of RRB and the Secretary of HHS should ensure that their respective audit groups singly or jointly periodically audit all components of the financial interchange. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Railroad Retirement Board | The Chairman of RRB and the Secretary of HHS should ensure that their respective audit groups singly or jointly periodically audit all components of the financial interchange. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Administrative errorsErroneous paymentsFunds managementInteragency relationsRetirement benefitsSocial security benefitsTransfer paymentsData errorsBeneficiariesUnit cost