1. United States
2. Letter

Melissa DuVall writing as a constituent from Prosperity, South Carolina, and as someone who has applied for SSI and seen how the current system fails the most vulnerable. We have about 7.4 million people on SSI, many with severe disabilities, blindness, cerebral palsy, and others who cannot care for themselves. Yet there is no real oversight to make sure the money is used for their care, that caregivers are actually providing it, and that abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation are caught early. I’m asking you to create a dedicated Office of Disabled Adult Welfare within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its job would be to do regular welfare checks on SSI recipients who rely on caregivers, require accounting and random audits of how funds are spent, and investigate reports of abuse, including financial misuse, neglect, and assault. This office should have the authority to change representative payees, coordinate with law enforcement, and ensure that funds intended for basic needs actually cover them. Disabled adults and children in foster care. *** According to federal data, adults with disabilities are 4 times more likely to experience violent victimization than non-disabled adults. Adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities are 7 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. In 97 to 99% of cases the abuser is someone known and trusted, and 44% of perpetrators are directly tied to the victim's disability care - including caregivers and facility staff.