Learn about Overpayments and Our Process
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: October 13, 2023
The Social Security Administration works to ensure that we pay the right person the right amount at the right time, and our payment accuracy rates are high. Given the magnitude of the benefits we pay each year—$1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 70 million people—and complexity of the programs we administer, overpayments can happen.
Social Security is required by law to adjust benefits or recover debts when people receive payments they weren’t entitled to. We take seriously our responsibilities to our customers and to taxpayers to safeguard the integrity of our benefit programs and be good stewards of the trust funds.
Overpayments can occur for many reasons, like when someone does not timely report work or other changes that can affect benefits or when an individual chooses to continue receiving payments during an appeal. Each person’s situation is unique, and we handle overpayments on a case-by-case basis.
Getting an overpayment notice may be unsettling or unclear, and we work with people to navigate the process. We inform people about the fact and amount of the overpayment, their right to appeal, and the options to repay or, in some cases, receive waivers for the debt.
People have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or the amount. They can also ask Social Security to waive collection of the overpayment, if they believe it was not their fault and can’t afford to pay it back. We examine every waiver request to determine if the person caused the debt and their ability to repay. If we can’t waive the debt, we have flexible repayment options—including repayment of as low as $10 per month.
Social Security is working to prevent overpayments and make the process easier.
For more information about the overpayment process, please see our Overpayments Fact Sheet.
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Earl J.
Why would the biden administration forgive loan repayments and not urgently intervene where seniors due to NO fault of their own are saddled with a huge bill from the SSA. In addition, the SSA makes a lot of errors iin computation of anything form what you are entitled to or what they say you owe. They are grossly understaffed, which is a recipe for mistakes and disaster. Yet, they confirm they have a very high accuracy in computations. The Government should immediately intervene on behalf on innocent senior citizens and correct this injustice in their senior years.
Suzanne T.
I’m not real shade of what’s really going on. I had SSI, $203. They weren’t they said was too much. I am paying back but the problem is that’sI was living off with that and retiring from them both. They weren’t 1,000 that is not paid. I just now had brain surgery and I am differently. I have a lot of several diseases about my medical.
Cathy D.
25 percent of my check is being taken from my social security which I thought was the cost of my my medial insurance deducted from my social security. I’m on social security disability. Because I was still receiving medical insurance from my company I worked for 24 years. I didn’t apply for Part B in Medicare not knowing I had to. Which was a 3 yr difference from what they were showing. My original company has been sold 8 times since working there . I finally managed to get proof when I was able to reach someone from that company I was forced to take disability retirement at time or loss everything I worked for in 24years. I went to the SS office directly instead of mailing it because they were backed up they told me to give the paperwork vertify to the Medicare division which was a man sitting in a enclosed cubicle which really didn’t understand why it was be given to him but took anyways. I had a friend who worked her lifetime and retired from social security helping me telling me they would give me back all of the overpayment to them or a percentage. She was helping me writing the original letter when she moved and I lost contact with her. 3 months go by nothing so again I call them after waiting 4 hrs on hold I reached actual person who I said they needed additional paperwork from my previous company again I contacted that person who sent me the additional person again went to the social security office same procuse never getting to speak to actual individual in person. Again here nothing back , so I call again only to have this woman tell me she’s gonna take on my case personally feeling bad what was done to me. Only to receive a letter 3 months later stating they would continue to take 25 percent of my check after taking $165 a month. For Medicare they would take additional $35 a month for pentality charges. Every year if I receive a increase in them payments my pentality fees will also increase and they will continue to do this for additional 5 years until I turn 65. Right now my pentality charge collected amount to $4,000 within the next five years not counting if I should receive a yearly increase my pentality charges will also increase. Without that increase they will receive a total of $11,000 in pentality charges only for something I did have for 3 years out of the 3 years and 6 months their saying I didn’t put in for the Part B.Since I’m on a fixed income and receiving benefits I can’t find a attorney to represent me for free or for anything I can afford. I have ti pick and choose the medications I fill each month now be asthma from the sweatshops I worked in. Vs paying $100 to $300 per inhaler vs free on Medicaid which again another thing I don’t qualify for so I have to pick and choose which medications I can afford if any to refill never mind the anti depressants and aniexty meds brought on by all this stuff I’ve had to insure . Going to food pantries for food etc. I was a victim of child abuse and domestic violence running away at the age of 12 starting to work in a sweatshop at the age of 14 , which you had to be a minimum of 18 to work there because of the dangerous equipment the inside temperatures of this facility was average of 100 degrees when being forced to wear a large coverup over our regular clothing showing the companies name. We were a linen cleaning faculity where we dealt with everything even the bloody linen from hospitals and operating rooms covered in blood and some with skin and body parts thrown in with these linens. It was called a sweatshop because your bodies were literally covered front head to toe from the heat indured why working a 40 hour work week with forced overtime almost everyday and Saturday. We actually looked forwarded to going outside into the 80, 90 degree weather to remove the company logal shirts and try to cool down and searching for shaded areas to help. That was one of the first of many jobs I worked over the years having to be able to provide rental income and food at the minimum for myself. I can’t afford a lawyer to fight social security. I am thankful that we didn’t have to provide workers permits at the time proving our age or I never would have made it . Believing I was reciving social security for the hard work I preformed and endured all my life right up until the day of giving birth to only return a week later to provide for me and my child. But the real thing was to see people that never worked a day in their life fake their illness. To receive the minimum SSI which automatically qualifies them for every free benefit like Medicare , Medicaid , food stamps , housing , fuel assistance , prescription medication help you name it they get it all versus someone receiving SSD who actually worked and payed into these benefits to not qualify for anything one of the big differences in SSI vs SSD , or the person who has worked all their life’s but not the last year because of injuries who can’t qualify for SSD or SSI. SSD which is more money then SSI usually for the non workers vs the people that actually worked and payed in for those benefits. But I understand why not if you can get away with it like all your friends and family have all their lives. So to say the whole social security system needs a overhaul would be putting it mildly. Exspecially with our own government that wants to do away with the system instead of repairing it. But continue to donate millions and billions to other countries for not necessary food or cleaning drinking water but for war equipment or to give that countries people a better way of living then their own. This system like our government is not only a joke but a literally disaster plan for our future and the next generations to follow in our foot steps .
Darwin M.
I received SSDI in 2020 as part of this I received a considerable settlement and out of that settlement social security took 6000 to pay for my lawyer now all the sudden they say I owe the 6000 that I already paid and have proof sent it all in it’s been almost a year now and haven’t got a single response I’ve went into my local office called many times and still no response to my appeal I have the proof they already took the 6000 out of my settlement their policy sucks and they jus take their own sweet time and don’t care who suffers
Heather C.
I had back pay starting before 2014 because of my kidney disease. However I got incarcerated February 2015. I got out in 2016. That’s when I found out I was eligible for disability. All this was explained to me including where they take out bc of the incarceration. And I was given a good amount. Well fast forward several months later I supposedly got “overpayed”. Even though I earned it before incarceration due to back pay. I appealed it never heard anything else until this year. Now they are taking almost 300$ of my check. I can’t work, and I have to live on $800 a month. How was an overpayment my fault? Isn’t it their job to know what numbers they are typing in? And isn’t it their job to know how long and when we become disabled? All the proof in my medical records and they chose to make me look uneducated and lie about the payment. I was given a certain number for back pay. I don’t see where the overpayment could have happened. Now I’m struggling to make ends meet because the IRS likes us poor citizens to suffer even from THEIR mistakes. I appealed it. And either my whole check was going to be garnished or I could make payments. 298$ is alot of money for someone who can’t work. After bills, there is literally nothing left. Not even enough for a ride to the grocery store. I can’t do anything about it because I’m just a citizen and it’s MY fault for THEIR mistake. 36 months of suffering. And it’s just only the beginning.
Ricky S.
Respectfully, the rules for retirement are no work. If you have other income you have to adjust and report all cash or financial i,come.
Adriano D.
Good morning
I have just received this letter, but please inform me that you live in another country in Cape Verde, so I would like to know better what this email means, however I would like to say that I have never been to America but that I would like to get to know it.
Best regards
Adriano Cruz
Adriano D.
Good morning
I have just received this letter, but please inform me that you live in another country in Cape Verde, so I would like to know better what this email means, however I would like to say that I have never been to America but that I would like to get to know it.
Best regards
Adriano Cruz
Lynda P.
Ricky incorrect: When you reach your full retirement age, you can work and earn as much as you want and still get your full Social Security benefit.
Ken B.
Just be sure to keep your mouth shut and pay your taxes on this income.
Jeff H.
The SS Administration should do a better job explaining the maximum amount of money you can earn is not annually but monthly. I started my Social Security in February 2022 and actually retired on April 1, 2022. That meant I drew 2 months of Social Security while still working. I thought I was allowed to make about $25,000 a year and was well under that, only to be told 15 months later that I made more than about $1,700 ($25,000/12 months) so I was overpaid. The Social Security Administration is now not paying me 2 months of Social Security because of the overpayment. LESSON: Pay attention to the maximum amount of $1,700 per month, not the annual amount per year.
Laura W.
That is a really good point. There is a lot of confusion and room for more Clarity.
Caroline B.
It’s explained on the website.
Tim W.
congress really needs to fix the $2k resource limit if for no other reason than to help cover up all the mistakes that SSA and banks make.
If you are over $51 it can cost you $19k. Even if it is the same $51 and they take the whole $914 away from two years ago Jan. They will want another $914 for Feb. But wait – its the same $51 and you took that away?
They act like you won the lottery or inherited a fortune.
The draconian punishment far outweighs the crime and is criminal considering the vulnerable community that is being impoverished.
mary s.
That is what I did, but not sure how you can calculate when you make a different amount each month? Also, the website is not been updated now three months. I called several times a month for the last three months and still have NOT received any monies. They say they will take out what I asked but nothing yet. I want them to just UPDATE the website, but nobody knows who does that. At this point I am frustrated by the lack of communication. One person hung up on me and said, I can’t spend any more time with you. Nobody knows which form to fill out to start taking out of SSI voluntary, so you don’t owe at the end of the year. SO FRUSTRATING…
Broke i.
Agreed. And they suspended my SSI benefits because I couldn’t spend the Covid payment fast enough and accrued interest. Why weren’t we allowed to keep it for emergencies?? Or to look forward to the future? Then, I missed the deadline for updating my account due to severe ADHD.. BTW, how are you supposed to live on SSI alone? $2000 won’t even pay for the first month’s rent and security deposit, by fair market standards, for a decent place to live anywhere in the NY/NJ metropolitan area. And what about bills? This “resource” allowance hasn’t been adjusted in 40 years. They basically force you to apply for other government programs because of the Draconian, unsustainable resource limits.
Angry T.
When called in for a review I wasn’t told I would be asked questions about stuff that happened two years ago. I was stressed because my phone died and I drove in a car w/o AC with the windows up waiting for a call.
Then I got told my son owes $19k. But there was a pandemic payment and nobody could tell me the rules. I finally found EM-21050 which SSA staff claimed ignorance.
Now they only want $13k – but it turns out the bank gave them balances after the first so it included $700-$900 income. I got the bank to send new data but they do nothing.
Once I’m done with this appeal, I will have to quit as Rep Payee. I’ve never guessed at the undisclosed liability and the totally over the top punishment for a slip up. I’m still raising a 5th grader, I can’t have SSA coming after me for $13k!
If they manage to calculate it correctly it should only be one month I was $191 over.
The SSA overpayment penalties and procedures are the real crime here. As FRB approaches closer and closer to 50% the $2k limit things like this will just happen more and more.
Carlotta C.
Direct express card credit Mastercard bank SSI and SSDI check money payment and stimulus check payment money and subsidy grocery card shopping and 2Go card credit deposit saving money bank cash
Jeff K.
I was informed by a letter that I had an overpayment of $6,600 which I immediately appealed providing documentation that I did not have outside income from a job. I just had retirement income and a one time check for my annual leave which is probably what looked like additional income as my former employer issued me a W-2 covering my initial retirement monthly checks plus the paid leave. All this was easily explained and fully documented two months ago. Still have not heard back. I called and was on hold for an extended period and then then they hung up on me. I am moving on and will just wait to see what they intend to do. I fully understand the frustration from all the comments of others, but hang in there.