Rice bill nixes federal retirement benefits for SSA employees convicted of a job-related felony

Social Security Administration (SSA) employees would be prohibited from receiving continued federal retirement benefits once convicted of a felony that is related to their official job under legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC).

“Unelected bureaucrats in Washington are rarely held accountable for any wrongdoing,” Rep. Rice said last week. “This legislation stops these employees from continuing to collect federal retirement benefits at the taxpayers’ expense after violating their position of trust.”

Rep. Rice on July 9 sponsored the Holding SSA Employees Accountable Act, H.R. 4396, with nine original Republican cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), to specifically prohibit credit for service for purposes of a federal annuity to employees of the SSA for certain violations, according to the congressional record bill summary.

Under current law, federal employees who are convicted of a felony offense continue to receive their federal retirement benefits and may only lose them through a criminal conviction related to treason and espionage, according to information provided by Rep. Rice’s office.  

“Americans place their faith in the Social Security Administration’s employees and expect them to do their jobs honestly and fairly,” said Rep. Rice. “Employees at the SSA who abuse their positions of trust by committing a felony in connection with their job responsibilities continue to be rewarded by receiving their federal retirement benefits, even though they defrauded the Social Security fund themselves.” 

In recent years there have been several fraud cases within the SSA perpetrated by government employees, according to Rep. Rice’s information, including an SSA claims specialist who pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft earlier this year totaling roughly $236,000.