What Do I Do If I Receive A Social Security Overpayment Notice
Review the overpayment notice and determine why Social Security alleges you have been overpaid.
- If you disagree you were overpaid ask for reconsideration of the overpayment.
- If you agree you were overpaid but it was not your fault you were overpaid ask for a waiver of the overpayment.
- If you agree you were overpaid and it was your fault you were overpaid negotiate a reasonable payment plan with Social Security.
The options below explain what you should do and when:
What Can I Do If Im Notified That I Have An Overpayment
When we notify you of an overpayment, and you agree that youve been paid too much, you have options for repaying it.
If you are receiving Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments, we will withhold from your monthly benefit.
If youre no longer receiving Social Security benefits or SSI payments, you have several options to repay your overpayment. You can securely repay your overpayment online using Pay.gov. Your overpayment notice includes a unique Remittance ID that you will need to make a payment. You may also use your bank or financial institutions online bill payment option. You can search for Social Security Administration as the payee.
You have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or request we waive the overpayment.
We may stop collection of the overpayment if:
- You are not at fault in creating the overpayment.
- Paying it back would cause you financial hardship or be unfair for some other reason.
More Information
Repay Your Social Security Overpayment Online
- Before You Begin
- Review & Submit
- You will need your remittance ID in order to repay your Social Security overpayment on Pay.gov.
- Your remittance ID is displayed on the first page of your overpayment notice and at the top of the payment stub.
- Your Remittance ID will change for every overpayment notice you receive, so if you have more than one overpayment, make sure to use the remittance ID from the most recent notice for the overpayment you intend to repay.
- Please do not enter your Social Security Number or BNC in the Remittance ID fields. Only the Remittance ID will ensure proper posting of your payment.
- Do not use this form to make a payment to Social Security Administration for any reason other than to repay an overpayment.
- Please allow up to five business days for processing.
- Do not use this form to make payments to other federal agencies. If you need to make a payment to another agency, please return to the Pay.gov home page.
Accepted Payment Methods:
With an account you can:
- See the payments you made since you created an account.
- Store payment information so you don’t have to re-enter it.
- Copy a form you already submitted the next time you need to make a payment.
To take advantage of these benefits, you can or Create an Account . To continue as a guest user, click the ‘Continue to the Form’ button.
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Paying Back A Social Security Overpayment
When or if youve received a Social Security overpayment, you can pay it back one of three ways. Paying back a social security overpayment can be made either in one lump sum, via monthly reductions of your upcoming Social Security payments, or through a different rate.
Paying it back online in one lump sum is only offered to those no longer receiving Social Security benefits. This can be done through Pay.gov or your bank. Billing notices will give information about this process, including a Remittance ID number that you will need to make an online payment.
To pay online, you will:
- Follow the prompts and confirm your payment
- Receive your receipt via email
To pay through your bank, use the online bill pay feature. You will:
- Search for the Social Security Administration as the payee
- Enter your Remittance number and mailing address
- Indicate the amount
- Follow the remaining prompts
If youre still receiving benefits, the overpayment notice will propose withholding the overpayment from your future Social Security payments. This will be done at either 10% of your payment or the entire monthly payment whichever is less.
If you feel you cannot afford to pay back the money through the SSAs offered rate, you can request to pay it back at a different rate. To do so, youll need to file a Form SSA-634, which is the Request for Change in Overpayment Recovery Rate. This is a request so that the SSA withholds less than the proposed amount each month.
What Can Happen After A Final Unfavorable Decision
- For SSI recipients, SSA will recover the overpayment by taking up to 10% of your SSI each month. For SSD recipients, SSA will take your entire check each month. If either creates a financial hardship on you, ask Social Security to take out less
- The Social Security Administration can make claims against you in civil court
- Your IRS tax refunds can be seized
- Private debt collection agencies may be used to collect the debt from you
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What Can I Do To Keep A Social Security Overpayment From Happening
To prevent a Social Security overpayment from happening, you should do the following:
- Report all changes in your household within ten days of the event or no later than the tenth of the following month.
- Try to report all changes to the particular Social Security worker assigned to your case.
- Keep copies of all documents you receive from Social Security.
- Keep a copy of all requests and reports you make to Social Security.
- Make all requests and reports to Social Security in writing.
- Always get proof from Social Security that you have reported a significant change to them. Have a copy of the report you submit dated-stamped by a worker at the Social Security office or send your report return receipt requested. While it does cost more than regular mail, it requires Social Security to sign for the document and the post-office sends you a receipt showing that Social Security signed for the document.
Ask For A Waiver When:
- Overpaid but it is not your fault
- Prove it is not your fault AND prove you cannot afford to pay it back
- No deadline for submission
- Prove you were not overpaid – submit evidence in support.
- Must ask for reconsideration within 60 days from the date of the overpayment notice
- Collections cease when asked.
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Social Security Says I Was Overpaid What Should I Do
If you do not think you owe the money, you can ask SSA to reconsider the overpayment by filing a Request for Reconsideration Form . You can also call your local Social Security office and ask them to take your appeal over the telephone. Click here to find the number of your Social Security office.
Whether or not you think you were overpaid, you can also ask SSA to waive the overpayment by filing a Request for Waiver Form . You can also call your local Social Security office and ask them to take your appeal over the telephone. Click here to find the number of your Social Security office.
There is a special process for some overpayments that occurred during COVID-19. SSA might waive your overpayment if it occurred between March 1 and September 30, 2020 and because Social Security did not process an action due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can call and tell the worker that you think this is what happened.
How Can I Stop Social Security From Collecting The Overpayment From My Monthly Benefit Check
- Once you submit a request for a waiver or a request for reconsideration, Social Security will stop collections until they make a decision.
- If you submit your request for a waiver or a request for reconsideration within 30 days of the date of the overpayment notice, Social Security will not even start collecting the overpayment until a decision is made.
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Using Paygov To Make Your Payment
Our billing notices now include the Pay.gov website information as well as a new Remittance ID. The Remittance ID is a 10-digit alphanumeric number used instead of your Social Security number for online payments. To make a payment, follow these steps:
- Use the link in your billing notice or visit Pay.gov.
- Enter Social Security in the search box.
- Follow the instructions on the following page and click Continue to the Form.
- Enter the Remittance ID number found on your billing notice and repayment amount.
- Enter your name, address, and phone number in required fields.
- Follow the remaining prompts to complete your payment.
You will receive an email receipt confirming your payment.
Online Payment Options Now Available For Overpayment Balances
If you no longer receive Social Security disability benefits , but need to pay back an overpayment, you have a new option for making payments.
An overpayment happens when you receive a higher benefit payment from Social Security than what you were due for that month. It is the difference between the benefit payment you received and the amount you were due. You can now make payments online. You can make full or partial payments using a credit card, debit card or bank account transfer.
Your billing notices now include the new Pay.gov direct payment option and a new 10-character alphanumeric Remittance ID that you will use instead of your Social Security number when making a payment online. There will be a unique Remittance ID with each monthly bill.
You can easily make payments online at pay.gov/public/form/start/834689469. You can also access the site by visiting Pay.gov and searching for “SSA” or “Social Security.”
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Using Your Banks Online Bill Pay Option To Make Your Payment
A second option is to use your banks online bill pay feature to repay overpayment debt and have it applied to your overpayment balance the next day. Only people who are not currently receiving Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments may use this service. This way your payment will not be delayed.
Follow these steps:
- Using your bank or financial institutions online bill pay option, search for Social Security Administration as the Payee.
- Enter the Remittance ID found on your billing notice as your Account Number as well as your provided Social Security mailing address.
- Enter the desired repayment amount and indicate whether you would like it to be a recurring payment.
- If you do not want a recurring payment, enter the desired repayment amount each time we send you a notice until the overpayment has been paid in full.
- Follow the remaining prompts to complete your payment.
These new payment offerings provide secure and convenient online options to meet your needs. Please share this information with your friends and familyand post it on social media.
Work Incentives Planning Assistance Program
What is WIPA?The Work Incentives Planning Assistance Program is a free program funded by the Social Security Administration . WIPA provides information to people getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income who are working or who want to work.
What can WIPA do for me?Each WIPA program has a person called a Community Work Incentives Coordinator . The CWIC can give you information about Social Security and working.
The CWIC can talk with you about Work Incentives. Work Incentives are rules that may make it easier to work and keep benefits.
You can also find out about other benefits that may change when you are working. These include Medicare, Medicaid, other health insurances, veterans benefits, food assistance, and unemployment.
How do I know if WIPA can help me?To get help from the WIPA program, you must be a U.S. citizen and at least 14 years old, but not retirement age. You must also be receiving SSDI or SSI and be working or want to work.
How do I find out more about WIPA?You can find more information online at these links:
You can find the WIPA program nearest you online. Or, you can look at the map that is included to find the phone number. You can also call us at Disability Rights Michigan: 800.288.5923 or 517.487.1755 for more information.
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What Can Cause A Social Security Overpayment
There are many reasons Social Security may think you have been overpaid. Some examples include:
- When you or your spouse go back to work and the earnings are not taken into account in figuring your monthly benefit amount.
- When you have income from other sources that has not been taken into account in figuring your monthly benefit amount.
- When Social Security incorrectly calculates the amount of retroactive disability benefits owed to you.
- When your living situation changes and these changes affect the amount of your SSI but Social Security has not considered them in determining your SSI benefit for the month.
What Happens If I Keep The Overpayment
Suppose you decide to keep your overpayment even though the SSA requested a refund. In that case, an SSA notice may state that they will withhold your overpayment at the rate of either the lesser of 10% or the entire monthly payment. The SSA will determine what month this hold begins and explain your rights to request an appeal.
If you no longer receive Social Security benefits, the SSA will withhold your payment from your Federal Income Tax refund and/or any future SSA eligible benefits.
Want to appeal or ask for a review of your overpayment legally? The notice will dictate how you can request a reconsideration of the SSA decision, waive the overpayment, or pay back the overpayment at a different rate. Following through with one of the first two options is best to keep your overpayment without repercussions.
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S To Take To Contest A Notice Of Overpayment
Make sure you read the notice carefully to understand the amount of the noticed overpayment and the reason the Social Security Administration believes you have been overpaid. Go through all the documents you have received from SSA in the past several years. You want to be sure of your facts and know exactly what income and status you have reported to the agency. If you have questions, talk to a representative at the local SSA office or on the telephone. Always write down the name of anyone you talk to at SSA.
If your reconsideration is denied, there are additional steps you can take to contest the overpayment. You have the right to an administrative hearing where you can present your case to an administrative law judge. You will need to fill out the Request for Hearing By Administrative Law Judge form. If you lose the administrative hearing, your next option is to file an appeal with the appeals council. If you lose after going through all these administrative steps, your only remaining option is to hire a lawyer and take your case to court.
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Ally is responsible for researching, copywriting, and editing content at StandUp Wireless. She has extensive experience contributing to advertising and marketing campaigns for Tech Data, Bright House Networks, TV, telecom, internet, home security, cybersecurity, and retail. As a freelance author, Ally has penned six celebrity biographies for young readers.
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What Is A Social Security Overpayment
If the Social Security Administration finds that you have gotten too much money in your Social Security benefit, they will send you a Notice of Overpayment. Social Security overpayments can happen for many reasons. Sometimes it is because you didnt report something that could affect your eligibility, like how much you worked despite your disability, and sometimes it is for reasons only Social Security would know about.
Does Social Security Notify You Of Overpayments
Overpayments can be easily missed if you receive your Social Security through direct deposit. However, if you havent noticed your overpayment, youll likely find out about it within one month. The SSA will send you a notice explaining the overpayment within 30 days and request that you pay it back in full.
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Is There A Time Limit For Filing These Requests
Follow the time limits given in your Notice of Overpayment. Generally, you have only 60 days from the date of the Notice of Overpayment to file a Request for Reconsideration. If your request is late, tell them what good cause reason you have. However, you may file a Request for a Waiver at any time.
Why Did I Receive A Social Security Overpayment
Social Security overpayments are when you receive more money one month than you should have received. They can happen with Supplemental Security Income payments or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
Social Security payments are the same each month, so it should be easy to notice if theres a discrepancy. The difference between what you should have gotten and the payment you received is the overpayment.
Overpayments can happen for a few reasons.
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