A REDDITOR asked for help after finding out they owed Social Security $5,000 in overpayment fees.
Social Security benefits often go to families who qualify for financial support.
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Sometimes the child must make up for the funds their parents received later in life.
One person who said they were adopted described their version of this situation on Reddit.
The user described how the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) website said they owed $5,500.
Yet they didn’t recall getting income or benefit services.
“What would I owe for? they asked on a subreddit for Social Security.
“I work two jobs, even my tax returns never surpass that amount.”
The Reddit community offered plenty of different suggestions.
REDDIT RESPONDS
One person suggested the user was probably unaware their guardians were the ones who received child support for them.
“Likely your parents received benefits for you as a child,” they wrote. “This is unfortunately common.”
“That’s not good for me to hear,” the user responded.
They explained how their adoptive family had a dysfunctional household and was very poor.
“She filed to extend the child care payments from DCF when I turned 18 and got approved cuz low SES,” they wrote, not specifying whether ‘she’ was their mother.
DCF or The Disability Control File is an electronic database storing information about disability benefits, according to SSA.gov.
On top of the family’s low socioeconomic status, the user said they got kicked out when they were 18 and have been independent since.
“Would this have an effect?”
Redditors replied telling the user they could request having their overpayment waived since it wasn’t their fault.
“You need to fill out form SSA 632, which you can print off from their website or they can send it to you,” they said.
They also said to ask for a copy of the overpayment notice.
“Yeah I never received it in the mail, oddly enough,” the user noted.
“I saw the balance on the SSA site when I was checking it for a completely unrelated reason.
Another user said they had posted about a similar situation before realizing their parents claimed disability.
“It was then determined I was, in fact, not disabled and those payments are now considered overpayments,” they said.
“It only took them 30 years to tell me. Now I have to file a request for reconsideration.”
WAIVE REQUESTS
Those who owe an overpayment to Social Security can submit a Request for Waiver of Overpayment recovery form.
To be considered, submissions must include information like a legal name, social security number, and date of the overpayment.
People encouraged to submit the form should:
- Think they are not at fault for the overpayment and are unable to pay back
- Think they are not at fault and think the overpayment is unfair for some other reason
If the overpayment is $1,000 or less, SSA says to call 1-800-772-1213.
MORE OVERPAYMENTS
One person was shocked when they owed $8,000 in Supplemental Social Security Income.
They said they received benefits for their disability until those payments were halted abruptly.
They also said they couldn’t hold a job for over a few months.
Due to a miscalculation, a former teacher owes $2,000 to Social Security.
See this year’s payment schedule for COLA Social Security checks.