Results tagged “disability”

Last year, the NY Times revealed that almost all Long Island Rail Road employees who applied for disability got it—for instance, in 2004, 97% of employees who retired after the age of 50, applied for and received disability and some of those "disabled" retired employees are out on golf courses, hitting the links. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo called it a "cottage industry" of fraud and the Railroad Retirement Board, which oversees claim approval, said it would use greater oversight. But it turns out that a staggeringly high number of LIRR employees are still getting approved for disability.

The NY Times follows up its look at how over 90% of Long Island Rail Road employees apply for—and get—disability payments with an examination of the federal Railroad Retirement Board that approves disability. Apparently LIRR president Helena Williams wanted to attend a meeting (after learning about the LIRR employees' alleged abuse of the system), but "The board, with about $34 billion in assets, had not met formally in nearly two years, and no new meeting was scheduled. The three board members, all full-time presidential appointees, rarely met even in private, employees of the agency say." Last year, the board approved 98% of applications. and the NY Times reports the doctor who is meant to monitor the disability grants never ordered capacity evaluations to see if the applicants are truly disabled: "And of the 120 cases she reviewed last year, how many disability decisions did she disagree with? According to board officials: zero."

The NY congressional delegation had "very productive" talks with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board to discuss reforms. Last month, the NY Times found that since 2000 virtually all LIRR employees applied for--and received--disability payments, raising questions about the USRRB's approval process (the board grants pensions). Newsday reports the USRRB is considering including "independent medical doctor to review disability claims; better oversight of the board's Long Island district office; and a re-evaluation of past LIRR retiree disability cases." Senator Charles Schumer said, "If somebody gets disability [benefits] and is then out playing golf five times a week, they ought to not have them," and added, "We all know something is rotten in Denmark."

Two weeks after the NY Times found that virtually most retired Long Island Rail Road employees since 2000 have successfully applied for disability payments--at a cost of $250 million in federal funds--the LIRR president Helena Williams announced she is creating a unit to review disability applications, requiring LIRR workers to undergo ethics training, and asking for legislation to overhaul the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, which approves disability requests.

Yesterday, the Westbury, Long Island office of the Railroad Retirement Board was was raided by federal agents who are investigating possible fraud in disability payments to Long Island Rail Road retirees. While the NY Times recently detailed how 90-97% of LIRR employees were applying for--and receiving--disability benefits upon retirement since 2000, it turns out the feds had been investigating the situation for the past six months.

After the NY Times' sprawling investigation showing many Long Island Rail Road employees apply for--and get--disability payments after reaching the retirement age of 50, Governor David Paterson is asking Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to investigate the situation. The Times found that LIRRemployees have received $250 million in federal disability payments since 2000, while the MTA's other commuter railroad, Metro-North, has nowhere near those numbers of disability claims.

The NY Time has a huge, front page article on the curious "disability epidemic among" Long Island Rail Road retirees. In a nutshell, the article points out how many LIRR employees apply for disability after retiring...and they end up getting those federal payments. Back in 2004, 97% of employees who retired after the age of 50, applied for and received disability.