Mayor Calls For Audits To Weed Out Disability Pension Fraud

FAST FACTS:

• Memphis Mayor A C Wharton announced yearly audits for disability pensions
• The audits are to weed out potential fraud
• The police union says at least one part of the plan is unfair

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(Memphis??? 2/24/2012)???? Memphis Mayor A C Wharton announced a plan Friday to begin yearly audits for the city's disability pensions.? The audits will begin March 1st.

According to a statement, in 2011 the city paid out $16 million in disability pension benefits to about 590 retirees.? Of the 590, approximately 460 retirees received "line of duty" pension benefits, and 130 received ordinary disability pension benefits.

"For those city employees who were injured on the job or injured such that they could no longer do their job, we have made a promise to take care of them.? That is a promise we intend to keep," said Memphis Mayor A C Wharton.? "From time to time, we do hear about retirees who might be abusing or taking advantage of our disability pension benefits and we currently investigate those on a case-by-case basis.? With these new guidelines, we will have a systematic way to ensure that all those receiving benefits should be."

The audits will require retirees to submit a statement of earnings, a physical/mental condition form, a notorized response form, and a form authorizing the release of information each year.

Once the information is received from the pensioner, additional information may be needed.? In that case, a determination would be made on the medical evidence of two doctors paid for by the Pension Board.

News Channel 3 first reported on disability pension benefits last May.? We learned that some recipients never work again.? Others, like TN State Representative Curry Todd, go on to have other careers.

Todd, a former Memphis police officer, hurt his back on the job 23 years ago.? Since then he's collected $29,000 a year in disability pension benefits, and has gone on to work as a basketball referee, a correctional officer administrator and a politician.

The head of Memphis' police officers union agrees that the city should go after fraud, but does not like aspects of the audits, especially when it comes to visiting certain doctors that may favor the city.

"These doctors probably have a contract with the city and they're receiving work from the city, and I'm quite sure they'd like to continue to receive that," said Memphis Police Association President Mike Williams.

"I don't want individuals to get over on the city, but I don't want the city to get over on individuals either.? And I'm starting to learn more and more that employees are getting the bottom end of the stick, and citizens are getting the bottom end of the stick as well," Williams added.

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Source: http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-mayor-calls-for-audits-to-weed-out-disability-pension-fraud-20120224,0,7645355.story?track=rss

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