Recently, there have been many notices sent out to Social Security Disability (SSD) recipients in Indiana, and around the country, to let them know that they had received overpayments in their benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) states that these people are responsible for paying back these amounts, but this can be unfair and inaccurate.
SSA sometimes is responsible for overpayment issues
In some instances, the SSA has taken the blame for overpayments. There are several reasons for this:
- Complex rules that confuse current applicants and those who are applying
- Adjustments haven’t been made for several years regarding what beneficiaries can own and save
- Beneficiaries submit data about their income, savings, etc. and there are lags when it comes to doing background checks in the system
- The SSA doesn’t have enough staff to keep up with the workload and they do much of their work by hand
Appealing repayment rulings
It’s important to keep in mind that there have been notices sent out by mistake. In addition, judges will sometimes overturn a repayment ruling based on the details of the individual’s case. This is especially likely if the person genuinely did not understand the Social Security Disability rules or had unusual circumstances with no advice on how to deal with matters that resulted in extra income.
No one who is struggling financially and can’t make enough income due to age or disability should have an additional burden put on them from accidental overpayments. If you’ve received an overpayment notice, it’s a good idea to find out why this has happened.