Social Security to Reinstate Overpayment Recovery Rate
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: March 7, 2025
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it will increase the default overpayment withholding rate for Social Security beneficiaries to 100 percent of a person’s monthly benefit. The Office of the Chief Actuary estimates this change will result in an increase in overpayment recoveries (i.e., a program savings) of about $7 billion in the next decade.
“We have the significant responsibility to be good stewards of the trust funds for the American people,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “It is our duty to revise the overpayment repayment policy back to full withholding, as it was during the Obama administration and first Trump administration, to properly safeguard taxpayer funds.”
The agency strives to pay the right person the right amount at the right time, and issues correct payments to most beneficiaries. When an overpayment does occur, the agency is required by law to seek repayment.
As of March 27, the agency will begin mailing notices about the new 100 percent withholding rate, rather than the recent adjustment of just 10 percent. The withholding rate change applies to new overpayments related to Social Security benefits. The withholding rate for current beneficiaries with an overpayment before March 27 will not change and no action is required. The withholding rate for Supplemental Security Income overpayments remains 10 percent.
People who are overpaid after March 27 will automatically be placed in full recovery at a rate of 100 percent of the Social Security payment. If someone cannot afford full recovery of their overpayment, they can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or their local office to request a lower rate of recovery.
Additionally, people have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or the amount. They can 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. The agency does not pursue recoveries while an initial appeal or waiver is pending.
For more information about overpayments and appeal rights, visit www.ssa.gov.
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Jamie V.
I just want to know if all that money that was stolen by the Social Security payments that went out to all these people that were over 120 years old and up ? Where is that money ,? Zan employee somewhere knows where that money went 0
I don’t agree with this payback , I tried reporting money I made during the pandemic through the automated app they gave me and it didn’t work,, but I paid my money back even though I should t have
Jane d.
Well good luck with the demo rats and finding out where the money went It’s probably buried in some overseas bank who knows but the United States citizens especially senior citizens shouldn’t have to come up out of pocket for that Just tell him to make the money like the demo rats did
Alone&Poor
Yet another example of big government going after the little guy. I have had many part-time jobs since I was 70. Only because I need them to survive. And once I earned above the limit. SSI is my only source of income now and what little I had stashed in a 401k is getting hammered since Trump started trade wars.
Paula R.
I am very concerned about the default rate for overpayment after 30 days of the date of the overpayment notice being increased back to 100% of benefits. There is a current problem with notices being mailed through the USPS by SSA timely and received timely by the individual. This means that many individuals will have their benefits withheld before they have been given due process and the opportunity to request waiver, reconsideration or lower rate of adjustment before their benefits are stopped. I believe the time allowed for delivery of the notice needs to be significantly more than 5 days, to include time for the delay by SSA and the delay in delivery by the USPS. I believe up to another 30 days needs to be allowed.
Marise F.
This is all I have to say about it….Trump ass kissing assholes!!😡😡 Grow a backbone!! How do you expect ppl to live?! This is insane…..fascist rules. Doesn’t affect me but I am thinking about all the seniors who draw just enough to make ends meet being put out on the streets…. ludicrous….shame on you🤬🤬
Jocelyn
👏👏👏 this needed to be said. It’s sad that we’re going through this, but I’m one of the 92% that knew what would come to be if he won, and look where we’re at.
Sher
Trump is a slot machine, enter coins and play him like a fiddle
Dorothy W.
Excellent points! I believe that by instituting a 100% recovery all at one time will be severely detrimental to those of us living month to month on our benefits. I’m glad to see SSI recipients not included.
I can imagine being overpaid one month, by a mistake made by SSA staff. Five days notice is ridiculous! I could never find someone to pay my rent and utilities, my food and prescriptions in five days! With physical disabilities, I can’t even pick up my mail every day. What am I supposed to do if your notification was delayed by one day, and not being able to pick up mail one day that week, plus weekends mean Sundays are another hurdle. It’s clearly possible for me to get your notice with only two days left for a response, let alone request a payment plan for the monthly bills.
The wealthy of this country have no idea what it’s like living under the poverty line. I’m just grateful I have no children living with me.
Linda N.
I don’t understand why it is the recipients fault when the SSA makes an error with payments! Fix it so you don’t hurt my elderly mother or any one else’s. So many Seniors only have their Social Security to live on! This is shameful.
Dana e.
I agree 💯
Jane d.
Exactly!! The government makes a mistake but won’t own it and blames it on the recipient and punishes a recipient. That’s the government The government sucks
Jocelyn
I totally agree with you.
Robert s.
I never got paid for my childrens benefits. I have sent you the paper work 2 times. And notified you 4 times but no responce. So if people owe the U.S. money you take it. But if you owe us money you refuse to pay. In english we call this theft. I’ll take it up with god and jesus. At least they hear me and act accordingly. Justice is mine says the lord.
Patricia B.
Ssi what the heck.
Ssi made the mistake.
Leve my money alone.
Cheryl P.
I don’t even understand!! , any of this! But don’t think I was over paid cause I was barely surviving anyway! I feel like I’m owed money because I’ve had to change my Direct Express card 3 times cause my money was disappearing of my card,and I have way to go to ATM! Car broke down,first 3 hundred gone,than all of it! I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake! Up!! Plus I lost my home ,no heat at night! No bed ,don’t even no exactly how old I am!! Think 69 ! But my 3 little doggies keeps me warm at night! Need help despertly!! Thank You!! Cheryl Pair
Robinson
Ssi ppl barely make $6.00 an hour. They cannot afford a shack to rent, electricity, food, clothes, a vehicle, vehicle insurance, renew tags and renew driver’s license, a telephone, medical supplies. And you think that an overpayment should be paid back in a lump sum? But you won’t let an SSI person save any money over $2,000? So when you take their check away for a month or two to repay this overpayment how are they supposed to pay their bills? Feed their families? Buy diapers? Buy medical supplies? Already SSI recipients who may have been born with a severe disability can’t afford to live on their own. They have to live in government housing, receive a few measly dollars in SNAP benefits, and pay their rent that continuously goes up all the time for a pathetic apartment that they are not allowed to even decorate to make them feel happy. They’re not allowed to put more than five potted plants around their apartment anywhere. They are not allowed to tell people they can stay with them more than a couple days out of the year. You cannot leave your apartment for more than a couple days out of the year or you will be evicted. You are not allowed to get your own pest control even though you may have tons cockroaches all the time. You are not allowed to get a leak under your seat and fixed or you could get evicted. And the government thinks it’s a great idea to hold you accountable for their mistake and take away the one thing that keeps you from having to live on the street in a tent, were they really evict you from because being homeless apparently is illegal. Someone explain to me how minimum wage is about $13 an hour and that’s poverty. SSI gets about $6 an hour and cannot get help with SNAP benefits or their Rent gos super high in the ghetto. The government wants you dependent on them so they can control everything. Think about it a woman is not allowed to have her tubes tied unless she has at least two children or a certain medical condition that can kill her if she gets pregnant. A single mother barely bring it in $3,000 a month who has a disabled child and another child is ineligible for SNAP benefits because they go off of what she makes before taxes are taken out. Now how is she supposed to survive and take care of her children properly? In the ovaries and why she’s having problem is because there is resources that will take care for severely autistic child. She has tried different locations and they’ve all asked her to come pick the child up because they cannot take care of his severe autism. She cannot work anymore at a normal job meaning she can never get over time she can never get vacation time she never gets a day off. So basically she’s working 24/7 for less than minimum wage and the government says if they make a mistake she’s going to pay for it. Does anybody else see a problem with this? And by the way she’s in her mid 40s it has worked and paid taxes since she was 14 years old. She sometimes had three jobs at once and went to college. Her last job was working for the state. Now she’s lost everything because the government thinks that SSI actually pays cost of living. I wish that the people making these rules would actually for a few months put all of their bank cards aside and only take out what we are given every month to live on. Let them live a day in life
Nathanael R.
Social security spend the people money and because I work over what they say I should make I can’t survive on peanuts I made over now assholes want me to pay 20,000 overpayment they stop my f-‐—-king check.
SHELLY
Yes! If I had a nickel for everytime I said folks making COLA increases should be forced to take our pay for 3 months while we get their $100k+ salary + their benefits + their ‘perks’, they would definitely make changes to SSI.
Dorothy W.
U make a lot of good points. However, people on SSI will not get the 100% overpayment. Their rate will remain at ten percent. Per the above referenced article. Have a good day
Drusilla R.
God bless I am not sure what this is all about too . God bless thanks much
Dee
The waiver isn’t true. I’ve tried several times to get mine waived bc of where I was working at the time was a non profit group that was exempt from paying taxes or taking them out of our pay. So be aware if you try for a waiver be prepared to be denied every time. It’s bad enough what they’re taking is hurting me every month and making it hard for me to pay my bills every month
Chloe
Older Americans are struggling to survive. We just want to live out our last days in peace. We can’t have peace if social security that many of us rely on is always on the chopping block. We want to eat and not eat cat food. Cat food has gotten so expensive. We probably ly can’t afford it. If ever old people ask for mercy it is now. For those that have children I don’t We should not be a burden to move in with them. They have their own problems. Do any of the people making decisions to take 100% of the seniors check some no fault of their own have parents. Seniors should be last to be punished. But rich people get a break.
Patricia B.
Trump did you do this to people that worked all their lives to have you start this crazy mess.
What the heck are we poor people suppose to do.
I VOTED FOR YOU.
WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS.