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Overpayments: A Continuing Social Security Controversy - Newsweek
It has been widely reported that Social Security is trying to recover billions in overpaid benefits. Indeed Congressional hearings have been held with Congress drilling Social Security on the processed being used and, especially, the reasons that some benefits are overpaid in the first place. The Congressional attention is likely due to complaints by numerous SS beneficiaries who have been hit with a Social Security Overpayment Notice, often demanding repayment of tens of thousands of overpaid dollars. For many, repayment is a severe financial hardship, one perhaps even impossible to resolve.
This Newsweek article by Aliss Higham explores the issue of Social Security overpayments from the perspective of a lady who was notified she owed Social Security $40,000 in overpaid disability benefits. And because she was unable to repay this amount immediately, Social Security has suspended her benefits until 2025, a devastating financial blow. For their part, the Social Security Administration says that the incidence of benefit overpayment is actually very small, and that there are ways to soften the financial burden of repayment, as described in this Newsweek article.