A SOCIAL Security beneficiary called on Facebook users for advice about an overpayment dilemma.
It can be stressful when the Social Security Administration (SSA) informs someone of owing a payment back.
Many individuals in this predicament will look for answers on social media.
An anonymous user said the SSA informed them of owing $22,000 in overpayments.
The beneficiary was told they hadn’t updated their information in over a decade.
“I know I did a financial review in the last eight to nine years with updated info but they didn’t have any of it on file,” the user wrote.
THE COMMENTS
Facebook users added questions to the original post attempting to shed more light on the situation.
“What were the causes of overpayment?” one person asked.
They wanted to know how the SSA miscalculated their income.
The user said they originally reported their income, car expenses, and bank account data.
They explained how they started getting supplemental security income (SSI) 14 years ago.
SSI issues cash payments to beneficiaries with a disability or senior citizens over 65.
While the user said they reported all changes to their bank account, job status, and car expenses, they claimed the SSA never recorded it.
“Even stuff I reported in 2016 was not recorded in their system,” the user wrote.
The U.S. Sun contacted the Social Security Administration to request a comment.
APPEAL WAIVER
The SSA says beneficiaries incur overpayments if they receive a monthly cash payment larger than they should have.
Social Security notes that a beneficiary is responsible for paying the money back if they were overpaid.
Working and collecting Social Security benefits
Find out how to make the most of your benefits.
If you work part-time and already get Social Security payments, you can lessen the impact of a lower COLA, Yahoo reports.
For greater freedom, think of remote jobs and freelance employment in addition to local alternatives. Just be aware that part of your Social Security payment may become taxable or that the new income may reduce your benefit amount.
On the other hand, you can decide to put off filing for Social Security and keep working if you’re still thinking about doing so.
For instance, instead of applying at age 62, you might wait until you reach the full retirement age of 66 to 67.
Although this has no bearing on COLAs, it will protect you from having your benefits cut if you retire early.
According to SSA.gov, social security recipients can submit an SSA-632 form to request an appeal for their overpayment.
The form applies to individuals who think they’re not at fault for the overpayment and can’t pay it back.
It also applies to those who think the overpayment is unfair for a different reason.
The form also lists repayment options and requires information such as Social Security number and date of birth.
MORE SOCIAL SECURITY
Overpayments aren’t necessarily uncommon, as another Social Security beneficiary said they owed $57,000 to the SSA.
The user shared their dilemma on Reddit and said communicating with the SSA was like, “talking to a brick wall.”
They said they didn’t get any initial notice about the overpayment and had been getting benefits for a visual impairment.
One user commented on their post suggesting they likely exceeded their substantial gainful activity (SGA).
This would mean the person earned more money than their reported income.
The U.S. Sun has more coverage on Social Security to keep consumers in the know.
Check out April’s payment schedule for Social Security Supplemental Income.
Meanwhile, read why a financial expert predicted a retirement crisis is looming.