Overpayment letter

[OneMarcilV]

I received this letter from Social Security today. The question following is related to this letter.

I thought maybe I will get more monies. Completely opposite. Social Security wants my overpayment. All in one payment. I thought I was allowed to pay on a monthly basis. The note read my monthly benefits beginning in June will be withheld to recover an overpayment.


I am supposed to pay 2,617 in 30 days.

These two options need to apply.

1. Overpayment was not a fault of my own. Claiming this because I needed to keep the job until someone was found to do my job. Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.

2. I could not meet my necessary living expenses if the overpayment was recovered. Or if the recovery was unfair for some other reason. I can claim the living expense because who could live on no monies.

The webpage when I looked at my benefits I usually see the next payment date. What I see is that I am not receiving benefits.

I was never notified by a letter from Social Security that this has happened.

Question: Has anyone else had this happen?

If so was this easily resolved?

Then how?

 

[Scuba]

I would go to your local Social Security office to discuss your situation and options.

 

[Golden sunsets]

It sounds as though you are less than full retirement age and either exceeded the threshold for W-2 income while collecting Social Security, or filed to receive social security but did not cease working and the SSA became aware of whichever of these scenarios occurred and is now taking steps to reverse the overpayment. Were you unaware that your monthly check was not based on your actual work history?

 

[rothlev]

I received this letter from Social Security today. The question following is related to this letter.

I thought maybe I will get more monies. Completely opposite. Social Security wants my overpayment. All in one payment. I thought I was allowed to pay on a monthly basis. The note read my monthly benefits beginning in June will be withheld to recover an overpayment.


I am supposed to pay 2,617 in 30 days.

These two options need to apply.

1. Overpayment was not a fault of my own. Claiming this because I needed to keep the job until someone was found to do my job. Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.

2. I could not meet my necessary living expenses if the overpayment was recovered. Or if the recovery was unfair for some other reason. I can claim the living expense because who could live on no monies.

The webpage when I looked at my benefits I usually see the next payment date. What I see is that I am not receiving benefits.

I was never notified by a letter from Social Security that this has happened.

Question: Has anyone else had this happen?

If so was this easily resolved?

Then how?

I had a friend that had this happen. She did request that they forgive the overpayment, and they did so. I think for this to be successful you would have to substantiate financial hardship. I am pretty sure you can have them withhold a smal amount from each check rather than paying in a lump sum.

 

[harllee]

I would go to your local Social Security office to discuss your situation and options.

Where I live the local SS offices are closed (I think they are closed everywhere) and you have to do everything by phone or online.

 

[Chuckanut]

Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.

I would like to point out that the 13th Amendment forbids involuntary servitude. It's been the law of the land since December of 1865.

My understanding was that SS will allow small monthly deductions to payback benefits that were mistakenly paid. But, I may be wrong. Your best bet is to talk directly to SS as suggested by others. Don't wait. Getting an appointment to see a human being can take a long, long time in some parts of the country.

https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-overpay-ussi.htm

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

To be fair you've been posting about this issue since last August, you were aware that you would probably have to pay the money back at some point.
Have you not been putting any money aside knowing this would happen?
Best to contact them ASAP to plead your case and/or work out a payment plan that you can live with.

 

[Koolau]

To be fair you've been posting about this issue since last August, you were aware that you would probably have to pay the money back at some point.
Have you not been putting any money aside knowing this would happen?
Best to contact them ASAP to plead your case and/or work out a payment plan that you can live with.

Agree about trying to speak to a human about this - be sure to get their name and write down the gist of your conversation.

Oh, and if an unexpected bill of less than $3K upsets your retirement plans, you may want to keep w*rking. YMMV

 

[euro]

I have to agree - is this REALLY a hardship? As long as you agree that SSA legitimately are asking for money back, then try to talk to them to pay back monthly over a period of time, but is it really impossible to scare up $2k from your reserves?
If it is then you are cutting (early) retirement VERY close!

 

[Aerides]

You've made a half dozen threads over the years about how to balance SS and working income, and to avoid overpayments, and yet...here you are and you are surprised by it and not sure how to handle?

You probably (given your threads) have done more research into this topic than any of us, so I'm not sure anyone can give you more help.

 

[OneMarcilV]

I had a friend that had this happen. She did request that they forgive the overpayment, and they did so. I think for this to be successful you would have to substantiate financial hardship. I am pretty sure you can have them withhold a smal amount from each check rather than paying in a lump sum.

Well any amount held from my Social Security payment causes problems for me.

I read one has to prove the overpayment was not their fault and also prove the overpayment would cause financial hardship.

How did your friend request the waver to be granted.

I can get the form easy enough.

 

[rk911]

ok, i’ll ask...

“Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.”

nobody can prevent you from quitting. were there some benefits you would forfeit if you resigned your position?

 

[Perryinva]

Yawn. No sympathy. OP knew it was coming and is looking for a way out. “It’s not my fault” usually doesn’t work, especially when it is.

 

[OneMarcilV]

ok, i’ll ask...

“Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.”

nobody can prevent you from quitting. were there some benefits you would forfeit if you resigned your position?

Not really. The dental send vision plan we had I am paying that now as a individual account.

 

[Dean56]

ok, i’ll ask...

“Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time."

nobody can prevent you from quitting. were there some benefits you would forfeit if you resigned your position?

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[OneMarcilV]

Agree about trying to speak to a human about this - be sure to get their name and write down the gist of your conversation.

Oh, and if an unexpected bill of less than $3K upsets your retirement plans, you may want to keep w*rking. YMMV

I did that today. What was neat it did not take long for someone to a live agent to come to the phone.

Talked to three three peeps.

First agent: This agent set up a 18 month payment plan. With this agent he said him needed to send me a paper to sign and bring that back to him at the office.

Then I realised that I gave him the right retirement date.

Second agent: Talked to him to change the retirement date. When I did him told me that would make my payments lower.

Third agent: Talked to this agent to ask about another issue. Once him had my information. Him asked me if I was planning on working this year. I told him no.

When I told him that him told me in that case my benefits will not be with held.

What happens is that I was supposed to inform Social Security about my working plans for the upcoming year. I did not know that.

So what happened Social Security just received my earnings record form last year recently. When this is received the computers there automatically indicate that I will earn that same amount thus year.

So when that happens I am considered in making too much monies this year. Therefore the payments to me are automatically shut off.

So him changed that for me. Then told me this will be updated tonight and I will get my payment in July.

Starting in September that is when my payments will have the deduction to lay back what I owe.

This agent was the only one that was able to stretch my payments to three years. Which will be of course half of the first agent set up.

All this without having to send any signed papers back and forth.

I asked. Him why the other agents dud not know what him knew.

Him told me they are newer employees.

So I dud get this agents name and him told me how I can ask to talk to him.

If nothing is updated by tomorrow I will ring him back tomorrow and see why not.

So everything is good now.

 

[Dreamer]

You needed to report your new estimate of earnings when you decided to keep working. Also, if you are claiming financial hardship, then they would need to see all of your bills and all of your assets. In order for a waiver to be approved, you need to not be at fault in creating the overpayment and financially unable to repay it.

 

[OneMarcilV]

I have proof if that. After bills are paid there is not much monies left.

I decided not to go back to work after retirement. That is why I thought I did not have to let Social Security know anything. Did not know this is automatically done when earnings are reported by the employer. Also did not know that benefits could be cancelled.

 

[pb4uski]

ok, i’ll ask...

“Even the store manager would not let me quit at that time.”

nobody can prevent you from quitting. were there some benefits you would forfeit if you resigned your position?

+1 just stop showing up and you have effectively quit.

 

[OneMarcilV]

True

 

[OneMarcilV]

+1 just stop showing up and you have effectively quit.

Really I did not want to quit without someone being able to take my place.

 

[RobbieB]

That's between you and the boss. The government doesn't care.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I'm glad you have been able to work this out. It's not always easy to understand the complications of the US social security system. And the IRS is another story altogether. I hope you enjoy your retirement!

-BB

 

[OneMarcilV]

My account had not updated yet. Still reads You are not currently receiving Social Security payments.

I keep ringing the representative back about but all I get is his voice recording.

After 4pm after the Social Security office closes the representatives ring peeps back. That never happened.

I do not care about paying the overpayment I just am interested in why I still see I am not receiving payments.

 

[pb4uski]

Really I did not want to quit without someone being able to take my place.

Not your problem. All you owed your boss was a week or two of notice.