Social Security

Disability Benefits for Drug Addicts and Alcoholics Are Out of Control Gao ID: T-HEHS-94-101 February 10, 1994

The number of drug addicts receiving Social Security disability benefits has soared in recent years; about 250,000 addicts now receive disability benefits at an annual cost of $1.4 billion. Despite the fact that half of them qualify for benefits on the basis of their addiction alone, most addicts are not required to be in treatment. Finding qualified representative payees to manage addicts' benefits has been a long-standing problem for the Social Security Administration. Most payees are either friends or relatives. In the absence of tight controls, addicts are free to buy drugs and alcohol to maintain their addictions. GAO believes that organizational payees would be in a better position to provide the strict controls needed over benefit payments to addicts.

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