A FORMER teacher said a miscalculation from Social Security has them confused and potentially owing $2,000.
After being let go from their teaching job in Washington, they said they received a notice from the Educational Service District (ESD).
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The user shared their story on Reddit and said the subject line for the notice read “reasonable assurance for school employees.”
It said they may “owe nearly $2,000 back” from their payments due to a miscalculation.
“Currently they are asking for information about my previous employer and why I left and will make a final decision,” they wrote.
MONEY SCHOOLED
The teacher said they were laid off from their district because of a “Reduction in Force.”
Based on the school salary their district reported, the ESD previously calculated their weekly earnings.
“I have stated I have been available and able to work each week,” they said.
They also asked the ESD to take a portion of the payments weekly and put it towards taxes.
The teacher wondered why they were overpaid $2,000, especially since they said they got a larger sum from unemployment.
They also said their benefits were “not over yet.”
“As stated before, they were the ones that calculated how much I should be paid each week,” they wrote.
“I plan on contacting my district and requesting proof of termination and potential salary information.”
The Redditor also noted the difficulty in contacting a person at the ESD.
They called on the Reddit community, asking users to share if they had tips for next steps.
“Honestly it is so hard to get through to them when calling the number,” one person replied.
The U.S. Sun contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) requesting more information.
OVERPAID BENEFITS
If a mailed letter says someone got more money than they should’ve received, they’re expected to pay it back in 30 days, as per SSA.gov.
Benefits are overpaid when the SSA has wrong or incomplete information and incorrectly calculated benefit amounts.
The SSA states on its website that beneficiaries should inform them of life changes like:
- The ability to work
- Living situation
- Marital status
- Income
If the money hasn’t been paid after 30 days, the SSA starts to collect the overpayment.
If the person submits a request for “waiver or reconsideration” before the 30-day period has passed, collection will be stalled.
The SSA won’t start taking the money until a final decision has been made.
MORE ON SOCIAL SECURITY
Another Social Security beneficiary was told they had to repay $15,000 even though they hadn’t worked in 19 years.
The SSA sent them a letter alleging they had a record of excess funds.
The person was confused and noticed the letter contained dates that lined up with their mother’s death.
They submitted a waiver form but said Social Security halted their benefits for two months.
In similar news, a retiree alleged they were charged $72,000 in overpayment fees after a major error.
Read about the full payment schedule for $4,873 COLA checks rolling out in March.