A SOCIAL Security recipient lost her home after being forced to fork over $121,000 in overpayments.
The program, intended to act as a safety net for retirees, has become a major stressor for many sinking under overpayment charges.
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The US government has overpaid billions of dollars in Social Security checks to beneficiaries.
Of the 70.6 million Americans who receive benefits, about a million each year are getting notification letters they were overpaid, according to the Social Security Administration, SSA, per local CBS affiliateKCTV.
The Inspector General's Office told ABC News' Good Morning America, that over $21 billion in overpayments were not recovered in 2022.
The effects of the overpayments have proven devastating for many, with most people being told they owe thousands of dollars after making zero mistakes.
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"I went to my mailbox and saw a letter from Social Security," a Florida resident named Lori told local ABC affiliate WFTV.
She described the notice as a demand letter that expected her to pay the government a whopping $121,000 back after overpaying her Social Security benefits.
And, the office only gave her 30 days.
"I'm so scared I'm going to lose everything," Lori told WFTV.
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The former postal service employee has received around $900 monthly from Social Security since 2001, but the federal government is now asking for a huge chunk of it back.
Out of options, Lori told the outlet she had to sell her house to cover the balance.
'I'll be paying this debt off until I die,' cries mom after receiving Social Security overpayment letter for nearly $15k
"There's not one person I've shared this story with who believes that they could do that," she said.
And yet, Lori's story is all too common.
The U.S. Sun contacted the Social Security Administration for a comment.
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The SSA says it's required by law to recoverdebtif a person got a monthly payment they weren't entitled to.
But these government mistakes have resulted in thousands of recipients in dire straits.
If payments aren't made within the 30-day window, the SSA will begin collecting the overpayment by reducing monthly benefits orSupplemental Security Income.
What to do if you’re accused of receiving overpayments and why does it happen?
There's no statute of limitations on how long Social Security can wait to collect an overpayment, therefore it is key to know why they happen and what to do.
What causes an overpayment?
- The SSA incorrectly sends additional benefits you are not entitled to due to incorrect or incomplete information
- Your income is more than you estimated
- Changes to your living situation
- Changes in marital status
- You receive more resources than allowed
- You are no longer disabled but continue to receive benefits
- Changes are not reported to the SSA on time or at all
What should you do if accused of an overpayment?
- Inform the SSA if you were a minor child receiving Foster Care benefits, and the state was your representative payee when you were overpaid.
- Request a reconsideration if you believe you were not overpaid or the amount is incorrect.
- Appeal within 60 days from the date of the overpayment notice.
- If you feel that the overpayment was not your fault and you cannot afford repayments, request a waiver of the overpayment and complete form SSA 632.
The U.S. Sun previously reported on another woman who lost her apartment and said she had to sleep in hercar after the SSA demanded $57,968.60.
Meanwhile, an elderly woman's late husband was said tohave owed $34,048.40 from payments distributed between January 2021 through August 2022.
She began scrambling to make ends meet, relying on her brother as a financial resource and held out hope the SSA could waive the overpayment due to her financial struggles.
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One recipient told the story of how the SSA "took all [her] benefits"after an overpayment of $13,000.
Plus, a former teacher said Social Security sent them a notice for a$2,000 overpaymentafter they were laid off.
