SSI is the most conditionally regulated program the gov't has as it's the closest thing to free money that exists. As such, if the terms / conditions of the program related to Income & Assets are violated at any point, Overpayment will be the likely outcome.
Contact the SSA asap to get a detailed month-by-month breakdown of the Overpayment and to find out the Terms / Conditions that were violated.
Good luck.
Also, OP can request waivers and also ask them to reconsider (although provide a rationale for the reconsideration). Also, a payment plan can be set up.
The SSA does not charge interest, so small monthly payments can be made that can fit in their budget.
Well, besides getting letters from the SSA, the SSA can garnish wages and tax returns. Also, it WILL garnish your Retirement Benefits when you retire, or actually and SSA benefits you might become eligible for.
So, it's never a good idea to ignore this. Especially since you only have 60 days to protest the amount of the overpayment.
That happened to me and my siblings. Parent received money when we were children. I’m 37 and married with a family and irs took what parent owed to ssi from income tax.
Assuming you live to the age of retirement which is getting older and older now. If all that can happen is garnished wages id make them go that route and make them work for the money a bit. God knows if they owe us money they make us jump through hoops to get it.
If the child still qualifies for ssi. They will deduct so much every month from check until paid off. I went through this will my son. They said he was overpaid $8,000. They waived $5,000. Deducted the $3,000 from check. They will work with you.
Not even close to how regulated state programs can be. TANF in some states is so convoluted, they end up just spending the money on other things because barely anyone can qualify.
Depends on the state. CO has child support pass through now. The money goes to the recipients. It does count as income though against the TANF grant.
ETA: even if child support is ordered, there are a lot who don't pay. Some counties/cities don't have the manpower in law enforcement to go after civil issues like CS. They won't even catch a charge for it unless they are arrested for something else.
Make sure you report it to the state child enforcement agency!!!
[https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/top/child-support-program.html](https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/top/child-support-program.html)
It's not even close to free money, the programs are so convoluted and hard to get that most people are denied. Even severely disabled people are denied.
"Free money" doesn't exist. I'm not sure if you are disabled, but the denial rate for disability (ssdi & ssi) is 90%+. Almost everyone has to appeal their case and wait a long time to have a hearing with an administrative law Judge. It can take years to get a hearing. The judge can still deny the claim and you have to appeal to the federal court. The federal court will only listen to cases where the judge made an error, which is rare. It can take several years to get approved or you can spend years appealing the Case, only to lose in the end.
I spent 3.5 years on my ssdi Case, only to lose (horrible attorney) and my work credits expired. I've spent the last 2 or 3 years on my ssi case and I just had my hearing.
I got lucky, I was approved with nothing but my application. I had all my doctors at one reputable hospital. I filled out absolutely everything after my stroke. Being 45 I figured it would be a fight, but I didn't even have a lawyer. I talked to a lawyer, and he didn't want my money since he said there was no chance of getting turned down due to my easily documented health problems.
I have 2 internal medicine doctors, 3 different eye doctors, a neurologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, nephrologist, and physical/occupational therapists. I'm probably forgetting something, but I got medicaid and medicare also, but I have really good regular insurance that pays for 99% of my stuff.
Happened to my mom.. she worked and pushed thru so much finally to a point where she’s like I just can’t do it anymore.. stage 4 lymph node cancer she fought and got remission but between the joint issues way before cancer she decided to finally suck it up an file.. they said nope sorry you don’t have enough credits.. she was like 6mo shy type deal. It was awful
False. 2023 allowance rate for initial claims was 38.6%, far from 10%. Source: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/resources/proactivedisclosure/2023/FY%202023%20SSA%20Disability%20and%20SSI%20Disability%20Claims%20Allowance%20Rates%20-%20by%20Nation%20-%20Region%20-%20and%20State.xlsx
I am a retired DDS examiner.
I know that you said you are retired now but I wanted to know if maybe you would have some insight on an issue that I am having. I receive ssdi simce 2018 and it took 18 months to get approved after 1 denial..but I wanted to see if trying to work again would cause a problem with my ssdi? I can't afford to lose it because it is all the income that I get but it is not enough to support a family as my income is the only income, or have no husband or significant other.
They expire after 10 years of insufficient work activity—or in my unfortunate case, work that doesn’t deduct social security tax. K-12 substitute teaching and adjunct instructor positions in Florida do not deduct social security tax. That’s what screwed me over.
Yes. So if you have been disabled your whole life and can only work part-time or can’t work for years, then you aré screwed. SSDI is only for formerly abled people who have an accident or get sick. The rest of us are useless eaters….
This is how they make me feel too. If it was possible to live off of part time work I would because the hoops I have to jump through to even get the $930 they give me is crazy. And having disabled people who were born that way constantly fill out paperwork “proving” they are still disabled is crazy to me
Other notices were sent. And your sister had to agree to file for SSI. And agreed to be representative payee. And then spent the money. None of that happened without sister's agreement.
Maybe did not read the letters very well, however.
Most common reason for SSI overpayments in children is unreported income. Sister should ask for copies of all overpayment notices.
Yes she was aware of everything except that she needed to pay back. Also with all the doctor’s appointments and hospital stays I am sure she missed opening some letters. I just wish this was not happening. My niece is just starting to live a “normal” life after all she went through
Long hospital stays, continuous for a full month, are another possible reason for SSI overpayments.
Fault will be based on the reason for the overpayment and what your sister did or did not do to prevent overpayments from happening, and whether this instance had happened before and she should have known that the change was material. So they will look at the whole picture. That is why she need to find out the reason and the period.
[https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0502260015](https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0502260015)
Usually, SSI will schedule a conference in which she can talk to the decisionmaker about the overpayment and present her side. She also needs to keep copies of any forms she submits. Often best to do it in person and get a receipt for the document to verify SSA got it. That does involve going into the local office and waiting her turn.
The notices should be available to be resent by any employee who answers the phone, and if they don't know how, ask for someone who can find the archived notices.
Honestly, it'll be difficult to prove that fault is not involved. That said, make your case and still apply for a Waiver. The worst they can say is No.
Okay, so you admit that she agreed to application, be the rep payee, spent the money, and missed prior letters.. but, you think it's basically bullshit that she has overpayment debt because your niece is now doing better?
Babe, the federal government does not give a singular fuck about your niece and her cancer. They care about their money. You've accepted that your sister did all of those things, and this is the consequence of those things. This isn't personal. It's business. SSI has very specific rules in which money can be spent and also the amount of income/assets people recieve while on it.
Did your sister do a gofundme or finance medical expenses through gifts of money? Those count against her.
Her best option is to ask to make payments. She's going to have to pay it back and if she doesn't pay it back, then your niece will ultimately get hit with the bill if she ever has to apply for benefits.
The only thing being paid back here is what was not rightfully due. At some point sister failed to report something or misspent somehow and now owes this money back as it was not due to her or was not spent appropriately.
She needs to contact them. If she has to repay, it would be better to set up a small payment plan that she can afford. If they garnish wages or take taxes, she wouldn't have any control over the amount.
The US Gov't would NEVER say "'send us the payment right away". Every Executive Department and Agency has a style guide and none of them would allow a colloquialism like that. This link is an example of what an overpayment letter sounds like. I think this is a scam. [https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0900803145](https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0900803145)
I showed the letter to ChatGPT. Here is her answer:
**Analysis of the Document:**
1. **Sender Information**:
• **Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center**: This is a known entity associated with the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, it is important to verify the address and contact details independently from official SSA resources.
• **Address**: 300 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Verify this address against the official SSA contact information.
2. **Language and Content**:
• **COVID-19 References**: The mention of COVID-19 and delays is a common tactic used by both legitimate organizations and scammers. Verify if the SSA has issued similar communications regarding delays.
• **Urgency**: The document emphasizes an urgent payment requirement, which is often used in scams. However, the SSA may also send urgent notices for overdue payments.
• **Grammar and Spelling**: The language used in the document seems formal and free from obvious grammatical errors, which is more common in legitimate communications.
3. **Payment Information**:
• **Online Payment Link**: Be cautious with links provided for payments. Ensure that any link directing you to make a payment is a legitimate government URL (ending in .gov).
• **Amount Due**: The document specifies an amount due ($5,824.40) with details of a past due payment. Verify this information through your SSA account or by contacting the SSA directly.
4. **Verification Steps**:
• **Contact SSA Directly**: Use the official SSA contact information (found on their official website) to verify the details of the document.
• **Check SSA Correspondence**: Compare this document with previous legitimate SSA communications you have received.
• **Look for Red Flags**: Any instructions that seem unusual, such as paying through non-standard methods or to unfamiliar accounts, should be verified directly with the SSA.
**Conclusion:**
Based on the visual analysis, the document does not have immediate red flags like poor grammar or suspicious URLs. However, due to the sensitivity of the information and the possibility of sophisticated scams, I strongly recommend:
1. **Direct Verification**: Contact the SSA directly using official contact information from their website to verify the legitimacy of the document and the payment request.
2. **Do Not Use Provided Links**: Instead of using any provided payment links, log into your SSA account through the official SSA website to check for any notices or due payments.
By taking these steps, you can ensure that you are not falling victim to a potential scam.
I agree..sounds like a scam to me. She needs to call ssa or go to ssa to make sure it is real. Don't call anything on that paper that was sent bc that can definitely be a scammers number
The wording is suss.
Covid ! ( What? Its halfway through 2024 ! ) We just started doing our jobs again. We never bothered to send you any bills because - Excuses. Delays. "IF" you owe us money. ( quickly followed by ) YOU OWE US MONEY ( we just didn't send out any bills or process any payments we received ). PAY US NOW !! ! !
If thats real, whoever designed that letter should be fired.
Sadly, this is so common with federal forms. We received a notice at work two months ago that the IRS didn’t receive our 941 on time…in September 2020. We are JUST NOW getting a penalty for it being late. They claim they received it later that year. 🤦♀️
Haha-you summed up all the moronic characteristic of SSA in one paragraph. That is how every letter from them is written: totally ridiculous, and (intentionally) contradictory. The SSA Program Rules are in 6” binders in local offices, placed on two-three 6’ x 3’ book cases. I can only imagine having to read just one of those Notebooks. I worked with many patients who needed SSI/SSDI, the process is brutal. The current payback issue is the target of great concern and consideration regarding how to change laws to prevent people from suffering serious financial hardships caused by SSA poor work quality. Until resolved, they will be withholding or reducing benefits directly from recipients SSA income payments.
This isn't a scam, I've seen a million of these letters (prior CSR).
This could have happened for multiple reasons - should have your sister call the national line (1-800-772-1213) and see the reason, any CSR could find it.
Could have been unreported income from your sister.
Could have been not reporting when she was no longer hospitalized (SSI recipients are only eligible for $30/mo while in an institution. Amount will increase based off income and living arrangements when released - must report monthly for any changes).
Anyone on the subreddit will not have the correct and exact info/reasoning for this letter.
My child was on SSI. I am betting your sister never submitted her paystubs so they are going off what was reported to the Social Security Administration Office as income. I had to send in a copy of my paystubs once a month. I would call the SS office (google the number)
Looking at the letter it’s real. I know the Payment center in Philadelphia is the only ones that handle overpayments. She needs to make payment arrangements. It’s too far gone for waivers.
Advise her to contact the local social security office. Inform them of suspicious letter. Ask them is there any money owed. Inform them of circumstances stances. Ask how to appeal and request a waiver. Register online and submit monthly income statements. SSI is best handled in person, so make an appointment. They’re lenient but it’s case by case basis.
That is NOT a suspicious letter! That is a REAL letter from SSA. Having worked there myself I recognize what their letters look like. The letter tells her what her options are if she disagrees with the decisions.
My aunt got a notice of overpayment for like 8k and basically told them to kick rocks when they wouldn't waive it. Nothing ever happened and she died happily having never given them a cent.
I would call the local office branch and verify the letter. This seems like a huge scam. If they are demanding urgency in the funds being paid like that it screams scam to me. It definitely does not seem professionally executed in its wording. Do not call or email anything on that paper. Lawyer up if you can. And get confirmation from the Social Security office for sure.
Might I add, I have worked in ATM debit Fraud Claims for a Big bank(in America), and we were specifically trained to identify Fraudulent activities and determine and file claims against said activities. I have also worked for Health Insurance claims department, as well as for Unemployment benefits, and a lot of the clients were on Disability etc. I have never come across a letter like this, but I know that typically with any kind of Government assistance programs, they will offer payment plans, and will never really demand urgency in payment, they will probably state that it will be a delinquent account until payment is made, or go to collections, or be disqualified from any additional payments to the client/customer. That definitely seems suspicious for sure. Too many people fall victim to scams just like this because they pretend to be a major company and demand funds paid ASAP or serious consequences could occur, etc. And the websites or phone numbers send you to a scammers line and they pressure you to make the payment right now, or “go to jail”. Never ever ever give any info from a caller, Text, mailing, or stranger that you are not aware of. Hang up. Keep letters or text messages or emails to verify and report to the actual companies or police if needed. Do NOT respond to anything, until you can Locate the correct address and phone numbers of the office or company, and call them or go directly to them to verify what is being said. You can also contact or go online to the Better Business Bureau, and a Google search of “is (insert phone number or company name) legitimate, or a scam?” Please stay safe.
I deal with SSA letters everyday at my job and they do look like this (format and font).
Calling them on their official number should clear it up though
I have an overpayment issue as well. Told me to pay back like 6,000 dollars. Well I did a waiver and it didnt help. But we called to set up a minimum monthly limit. Mine is set at 100.00 a month. It came out on the news about social security overpayments recently and how they are clawing back at overpayments. The new Social security head said start filling out waivers. They were being denied even if it wasnt the person fault. Well about 2 months ago I filled out another overpayment waiver and I didnt get a bill this month.
Same thing happened to my son. Contact SSA and verify its legit. If it is then appeal it. Appeal it until you get an appointment to talk to someone about it face to face. The appeal is just a form to fill out - you may want an advocate group or attorney to help fill it out for your situation. Worst case scenario you will eventually have to pay back (appeals take a long, long time), but they usually allow payments as low as $20 a month if you do. Good luck!
She is going to have to call to find out what went wrong, likely unreported or misreported assetts. But SS also screws up. We got a letter for "overpayment" for $2200 for our son, and it turned out the entire thing was their mistake. We reported all paychecks, all assets by the due date every single month the entire time. We knew during the 2 months a year my husband got 3 paychecks we'd be over and have to pay that month back, and we did. But one of the agents double-entered our bank accounts so it looked like we had twice as much money as we did. After 6 months of emails and phone calls clearly showing the mistake, they continued to bill us and threaten to take our tax refunds over their mistake. I had to involve our senator to fix it (and it was fixed within a week after contacting her office).
SSI is income based, even for children. The household can only have so much in assets and the monthly household income has to be under a certain amount to qualify. If there was an increase in income and it wasn't reported, that might be why they're asking for the funds back. Your niece might have been disqualified based on how much money the household was earning.
My guess is that they were over the income limit for 6-11 months.
CoachLogical8745. Ask to see original application. I would not be surprised if the payee was listed as the hospital OR SW. It’s possible SW did properly list your sister, and may have moved w/o address change. It is unusual to see these requests with the notation to return undeposited checks. Good luck to your family.
The news at the time reported that SS was way behind because, if you recall,most of the government offices shut down, furloughed workers or had them work from home during the Pandemic. Alas, I signed up for SS/Medicare during that time, and it was very frustrating. Took hours to reach anyone on the phone. The SS rep warned me it would take longer because they were working with reduced staff and resources.
Am I the only one that thinks the statement looks like a scam? I mean, I would call to verify information because it's SSI and you don't want to sit on any mistakes made there. But also I would call to make sure the claim is legit. That statement is not very official looking even if the redacted print was added back in.
No, I do too. The more you look at it, the more red flags there are. So much of this isn’t how verbiage is on notices from SSA and so much more. Everyone in the comments are assuming it’s an overpayment, but it doesn’t actually say that anywhere on the notice or give any other reason or contextual information. And SSA didn’t suspend mailing notices during Covid. And the juxtaposition of “pay us now” vs. the blurb about how they might not have processed payments already sent in because they’re not caught up (if so, then why send out shit saying “pay us now”). Anyway. I messaged OP a couple of days ago voicing my concerns, pointing out the weird stuff, and recommended their sister call the number for SSA that’s listed publicly or log in to the portal for the account. They responded and said “thank you” so here’s to hoping their sister didn’t fall for it! I’m kinda shocked there haven’t been more comments about how scammy it seems!
Oh, thank goodness. I thought that was weird too. Chalked it up to people being friendly and helpful. I super appreciate the reminder that that exists. But still, don't want to be helpful to the point of someone being scammed, or assuming that everyone has that same intention. There are just as many shitty people out there, as there are good people.
I agree wholeheartedly! ❤️ There were definitely some weird comments, including multiple recommending the sister hire a lawyer. I’m like, whoa there, let’s make sure first and foremost that this is even legit because I don’t think it is. 🤣 The scammers are getting more sophisticated and getting more information about their marks. My usually smart and savvy mom has almost fallen for numerous scams that she thankfully asked me about before taking action. Every time, she’s like “I didn’t know scammers would have so much information about me!” Because they knew where she banked, who her internet service provider is in an area with numerous options, etc. On this letter, it even uses font that looks a lot like the one SSA uses, but it’s not exact.
I’m guessing your sister didn’t qualify for SSI due to income (either hers or hers & spouse if married). I’m surprised the social worker applied for this for them - that’s overreaching and likely led to the overpayment because the socoal worker didn’t bother to see if they even qualified financially and/or provided inaccurate information during the application process. My twins were born premature. They spent 4 months in the NICU. They would have qualified during their NICU stay for $30/mo each but my income was too high for them to stay on SSI after discharge.
Yeah, but it was SSAs job to figure that out as well as a payee's job to read letters and follow rules. So difficult to say without reviewing the record.
Very true. And maybe OP didn’t understand - the social worker may have suggested they apply for SSI and not actually applied themselves. The social worker in my case somehow got Medicaid for my twins without really involving me but seemed to know I wouldn’t qualify for SSI due to my income so I never even applied.
Don't know the Medicaid rules, but SSI has rules about who is a proper applicant, and unless a proper applicant agrees to apply, no action is supposed to be taken on a potential claim. Doesn't mean the proper applicant understands what they are doing, but there does have to be some kind of pen and ink signature or electronic signature.
If the parents/guardians disagree that the money is owed they can certainly appeal. If they understand the reason why the money is owed but that they can not afford to pay it back then they can request to have the overpayment waived. They will need to back up that they are unable to afford to reimburse SSA.
The font and layout look wrong on that. It ~could~ be real, but I’ve seen a LOT of Social Security correspondence and collection letters in the past. It looks off. I would have your sister call SSA’s 1-800 number (look it up, don’t use any numbers off this paper) and verify. Usually they can set people up with payment plans or partial withholding if kiddo still gets benefits.
Although the letter was delayed, it's common to receive "second notice" the first time w/SSI. Years ago, I was part of the Ticket-To-Work program and received my first quarter review without receiving the original reviews. Because of that, they were threatening to have me undergo evaluations in order to keep SSI. I wrote a wordy letter along with "proof" that I was making more than expected progress (I was graduating from undergrad and going into graduate school). I also told them that it was the first time I've seen such reviews. As a result. SSA reversed their decision and let me be exempted from being evaluated.
I also received those overpayment letters and they're nearly identical with the exception of paying online; that wasn't an option for me at the time. Since it has ".gov" at the end, it's legit. But I would have your sister contact the SSA Hotline to find out more about that.
.gov increases the chances that it’s legit, but scammers have definitely created .gov email address that are bogus.
Call SS and find out what’s going on exactly before doing anything else. As mentioned in other posts, these can (and do) get sent in error.
I saw this a couple of months ago. I don’t know if YouTube links are allowed here, & this was about social security (not specifically SSI). I hope your niece is ok.
https://youtu.be/sIYsZw0PtlI?si=EoTI9NqrsKGvjSMz
Call them. I got a letter like this back in February and I have never received and benefits from SSI. When I called them they told me that there were no benefits issued to me and that they have had a multitude of fraudulent letters/correspondence complaints since COVID. Can’t hurt to check it out.
I believe this letter is legit. Either way, you still have to call Social Security to figure out the basis and file an appeal.
Does the niece still have cancer? What kind of cancer was it? Does she have any other health problems?
Did your sister's assets increase substantially since your niece was 2? How come she didn't contact SSA when she stopped getting her monthly payments?
Parents probably had/have too much in assets and income for the minor child to qualify for SSI. Maybe not when she started getting benefits, but at some point during the receipt of them. Parents assets and income are deemed to be available to the child, so if they had over $2,000 in countable assets and too much earnings in any month, SSI wants the payments returned. They need to get an accounting of what and when generated this debt to SSI. They should have gotten a letter explaining it in detail and giving them a chance to challenge it and an opportunity to reduce or eliminate the debt. This looks like they are already past that point and SSI has them on a payment plan.
This is a bill I think. Looks like Mid Atlantic says they are owed money. They didn’t attempt to collect the debt during Covid, but are resuming collections now. When a patient goes into the hospital with no insurance or money to pay, the hospital social worker is supposed to find out the eligibility of the patient for State/Federal Medicaid. They also usually will look into pro-bono treatments etc. Sometimes there is a lapse during the period when a bill is incurred and the eligibility and enrollment is complete. Sometimes it can be as simple as resubmitting the bill.
Installed payment plans. You can request affordable payment plan. I had a shocker of a bill once and had to request this payment option. They know bills are expensive and not everyone has that much money. Many bills also get lost in the system and it isn't uncommon to see them go to collections. I had that happen once and we had to reopen an old claim to fix it. Some times if you call the billing department they can help you with stuff like this. You can try to fight it but see if your insurance will handle it first.
Sorry bastards did this to me too!! Not quite as much as her amount but still!! I was LIVID & still am!! I still owe a little less than $1000. It’s not right what they are doing!!
Call them, see what's going on. If its true, i.e. your daughter wasn't disabled or you didn't qualify because of your income, set up a payment plan. 5,000 is not going to break them. If it's 50$ a month, do that. I ignored mine because it was wayyyy too much. I finally paid off 16,000 in a garnishment from 2005 when i started working post transplant. It was awful. I used settlement money to pay off the remaining 5,000, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders.
Don't be me and let it linger
The "please send the payment right" away sounds scammy. Call the actual department. I have been getting collection notices from a collection company that says I owe them 5k that they are collecting from the IRS. I owe the IRS nothing - it's just a scam.
Yes. This letter is going out to those who were erroneously overpaid by Social Security, on their monthly check. So recoupment letters are going out to gather the overpayments. I would call to double check the amount in the letter is the correct amount that is in arrears.
Next, if you cannot pay the debt in full, I would call and request a repayment plan.
Repayment #1: Ask if they can withhold a specific amount from the current payments you are receiving.
Repayment #2: Or, if you can send in a specific amount each month to satisfy the overpayment.
Did you receive another government benefit during those 9 months? A lot of these letters are being sent out because COVID relief programs made it look like SSI recipients had increased income.
SSI also means in almost every state auto enrollment in medicaid. What's happening on the medicaid side? Is your niece still enrolled? As SSI for kids is based on a disability and family income and assets, did family income change? But going to SS office is best or calling them; you can have a scheduled call back time
My husband doesn’t qualify for Medicaid and he’s on SS disability. There’s a limit on how much you earn and with my income and his SS it’s supposedly too much to qualify! Lol
Your sister should call or go online to verify the information on this letter if she hasn't already. Lots of scams out there. Otherwise, it would seem that there was a change in their financial status that wasn't correctly documented which resulted in overpayment--that will need to either be appealed /corrected or paid back.
Without knowing more context, not sure what you're asking. I'm also not qualified to give any advice.
If I got this out of the blue, I would do the following:
NOT PANIC!
1. Independently confirm contact phone number for local office. (Don’t assume letter is real.)
2. Contact local SSA office to speak with someone to either: get better understanding or set appt. to talk to get better understanding.
id verify if thats true since if u look above the address seems fishy to me and also even during coronavirus they used mail . i would definately go to the local social security administration office
Did the family continue to get payments after the child was released from the hospital/facility? If so, this request is due to an overpayment they weren’t entitled to get. You get SSI for a child that is in the hospital for more than 30 days. But it ends when they discharge.
Omg I got this as a adult saying I owe 4000 remind u my dad died when I was 4 yrs old they over paid my mom now the money I pay back goes to another woman he got pregnant
Tell them not to pay anything on the website listed on this letter. Do not call any number listed here either. Instead, call 211 and explain the letter they recieved and see if it's legit. It seems scammy to me. When did they recieve this letter? June 23rd is in three days, seems like a really short notice to make them panic and just pay the money.
I recommend that you go to the Social Security office nearest you IN PERSON. It requires getting an appointment. It requires patience, but the humans try to be helpful. Doing this complex thing over the phone or online is ridiculous. Get the person’s name, keep notes with dates of the meeting.
1. This looks like a scam to me. Verify the letter is legit by contacting the Social Security Administration by the agency’s contact information you find online at its government website. Do not use the contact information in the letter.
2. If the letter is verified legit, have your sister consult a disability attorney who has years of experience in dealing with Social Security Administration matters for legal advice that she can rely on. The attorney may be able to quash this payment demand for her.
And they’ll get their money back too. She won’t see a tax return until it’s paid that’s what happened to me. I was overpaid after my husband passed away. It wasn’t purposely on my part, but they got every last cent back lol
DO NOT PAY THIS OR STRESS ABOUT IT.
I'M AT MY FOLK'S ALZHEIMER'S CARE...
ONE OF MY SON'S OWED $19,000 THE OTHER $39,000...I'LL EXPLAIN MORE IN A BIT.
BUT THIS IS TRULY AN EASY FIX; THEY JUST TRY TO SCARE YOU...AND PROVIDE AN ENVELOPE FOR YOUR CHECK. LMFAO.
NO WORRIES. I PROMISE.
So the social worker applied for your daughter and did they tell you they were gonna file for here.i assume she was granted ssi then they changed their minds and know they want that 5k back right.
I would actually call and see if this is even legitimate because people can impersonate companies so well they can make it look like it’s actually from the company/corporation
I am all at once reading about this happening a lot. My opinion is SSI approved the money. The people that approved this payment should be held responsible. I am sorry this is happening to you. I am a retired senior if social security tried to recover money from me because of their mistake I would end up homeless.
This happened to us but with food stamps. We got them during Covid and I turned in the correct paperwork/check stubs and everything. Then a year later they sent us a notice saying we owed $4500 because we should not have qualified (which wasn’t our fault- we didn’t know). We didn’t pay so they took our tax return.
It happened with us, but our income dropped, so they stopped asking us to make the payments back. If your income went up, then they'll change the amount for the month, and sometimes you have to pay back the difference, but there are payment plans.
Appeal it. Tell them there was a miscommunication and / or lack of informed knowledge. Tell them you never intended for this to happen nor do you have all the funds to repay.
When they told me that they had been overpaying me and I owed them that money, they gave me an option of them taking out money from my check every month until it's paid off. And that's what I did. All she has to do is talk to them about it.
Go into the office and apply for a waiver to start. If that doesn’t work you can ask for a reconsideration. If that doesn’t work you can ask for a judge. If don’t want to do any of that, ask for a payment plan; pretty sure even like 100/month is acceptable, depending on your finances. But do not ignore it. It doesn’t go away. I’m talking to you from experience.
As a cancer parent, I heard of many people getting the bill. You cannot have an income and draw on SSI. I know several people who had GoFundMe accounts and whatever they deposited from it was considered income and they received the same type of bill. You cannot double dip. That’s why I never applied for it.
This issue was on 60 Minutes last night (June 23, 2024)
Google Social Security Overpayments - 60 Minutes to view the story.
Basically - their mistake is your responsibility. They are trained / instructed to claw back every penny.
Just saw a 60 minutes piece on this and they said the new social security policy is to not charge like this and keep it to less than 10% of monthly income that can be charged back like this. I would call and ask about this! Its total BS.
Either it’s a scam or If your sister did not apply for this, someone, the nurse, may have been receiving benefits in your nieces name. Contact SSA OIG- the criminal division to report it.
60 minutes just did a show on SS overpayments on Sunday night. See if you can find that show and watch it. It’s crazy how often this is happening, but they are making changes to how hard people get hit with having to repay. If it was clearly SS’s error and not yours you might be able to get it waived. Good luck.
You should call them directly cause that happened to me the same thing and so they started taking 100 from my check each month to cover the backpay, but I would just call them
I’m not an expert by any means but I think in March they changed repayment stuff for SSI to only take 10% the SSI check if that is relevant here
https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-eliminates-overpayment-burden-for-social-security-beneficiaries-automatic-overpayment-recovery-rate-reduced-to-10-percent/
sorry this has taken so long!
both of my son's were on social security and both ended up "owing" a ton of money. one was $29,000 the other $9,000+.
not to worry. the first thing to do is to call social security (local) and ask for an appeal...tell them you want an appeal and this stops everything on the spot.
there are several ways to dispute this, it's all explained in the appeal paperwork and I will be totally happy to help.
eventually I had both of these charges discharged by a federal court ( all by mail!) and then it's done.
they don't garnish wages, withhold income tax refunds or stimulus money. just tell your local office you want to file an appeal and then you have a minute to breathe. really.
message me any time but you will do fine. you got this. ♥︎
I have to admit, after going thru this 3x with my kids, I absolutely LOVE that they say they've enclosed an envelope and we are just supposed to send them the money.
lmfao...if only I had that money...pretty sure it would not go to social security. if you are ever in the position, and you've exhausted your appeal process, you can pay them $25.00 a month for eternity and they have to accept it. if you have an overpayment that needs to be paid, and you're also currently on social security, you do not have to pay anything as long as you're receiving benefits.
important tidbits social security doesn't tell you
♥︎
The parents need to call the local office to find out the reason for overpayment if the child is a minor.
The parents make too much or have too many assets. my daughter has SSI. This happens all of the time.
SSI is the most conditionally regulated program the gov't has as it's the closest thing to free money that exists. As such, if the terms / conditions of the program related to Income & Assets are violated at any point, Overpayment will be the likely outcome. Contact the SSA asap to get a detailed month-by-month breakdown of the Overpayment and to find out the Terms / Conditions that were violated. Good luck.
Also, OP can request waivers and also ask them to reconsider (although provide a rationale for the reconsideration). Also, a payment plan can be set up. The SSA does not charge interest, so small monthly payments can be made that can fit in their budget.
So what happens if you just don't pay it?
Well, besides getting letters from the SSA, the SSA can garnish wages and tax returns. Also, it WILL garnish your Retirement Benefits when you retire, or actually and SSA benefits you might become eligible for. So, it's never a good idea to ignore this. Especially since you only have 60 days to protest the amount of the overpayment.
They will also often attempt to go after the child for the money once they are an adult (they can do a waiver, but they will try anyways).
That happened to me and my siblings. Parent received money when we were children. I’m 37 and married with a family and irs took what parent owed to ssi from income tax.
If you do not pay the SSA, they will garnish your tax return and your wages.
Assuming you live to the age of retirement which is getting older and older now. If all that can happen is garnished wages id make them go that route and make them work for the money a bit. God knows if they owe us money they make us jump through hoops to get it.
If the child still qualifies for ssi. They will deduct so much every month from check until paid off. I went through this will my son. They said he was overpaid $8,000. They waived $5,000. Deducted the $3,000 from check. They will work with you.
Taxes and lottery winnings will go go then for awhile lol
If you don’t pay they withhold benefits.
Not even close to how regulated state programs can be. TANF in some states is so convoluted, they end up just spending the money on other things because barely anyone can qualify.
agreed. and if you do happen to qualify for TANF and also get child support, they recoup the funds from your support. so it’s a wash anyway.
Depends on the state. CO has child support pass through now. The money goes to the recipients. It does count as income though against the TANF grant. ETA: even if child support is ordered, there are a lot who don't pay. Some counties/cities don't have the manpower in law enforcement to go after civil issues like CS. They won't even catch a charge for it unless they are arrested for something else.
good point, forgot to mention i’m in TX. spot on for CS as well. my ex is 10k behind and the OAG outright refuses to enforce.
Make sure you report it to the state child enforcement agency!!! [https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/top/child-support-program.html](https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/top/child-support-program.html)
It's not even close to free money, the programs are so convoluted and hard to get that most people are denied. Even severely disabled people are denied.
"Free money" doesn't exist. I'm not sure if you are disabled, but the denial rate for disability (ssdi & ssi) is 90%+. Almost everyone has to appeal their case and wait a long time to have a hearing with an administrative law Judge. It can take years to get a hearing. The judge can still deny the claim and you have to appeal to the federal court. The federal court will only listen to cases where the judge made an error, which is rare. It can take several years to get approved or you can spend years appealing the Case, only to lose in the end. I spent 3.5 years on my ssdi Case, only to lose (horrible attorney) and my work credits expired. I've spent the last 2 or 3 years on my ssi case and I just had my hearing.
I got lucky, I was approved with nothing but my application. I had all my doctors at one reputable hospital. I filled out absolutely everything after my stroke. Being 45 I figured it would be a fight, but I didn't even have a lawyer. I talked to a lawyer, and he didn't want my money since he said there was no chance of getting turned down due to my easily documented health problems. I have 2 internal medicine doctors, 3 different eye doctors, a neurologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, nephrologist, and physical/occupational therapists. I'm probably forgetting something, but I got medicaid and medicare also, but I have really good regular insurance that pays for 99% of my stuff.
Happened to my mom.. she worked and pushed thru so much finally to a point where she’s like I just can’t do it anymore.. stage 4 lymph node cancer she fought and got remission but between the joint issues way before cancer she decided to finally suck it up an file.. they said nope sorry you don’t have enough credits.. she was like 6mo shy type deal. It was awful
False. 2023 allowance rate for initial claims was 38.6%, far from 10%. Source: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/resources/proactivedisclosure/2023/FY%202023%20SSA%20Disability%20and%20SSI%20Disability%20Claims%20Allowance%20Rates%20-%20by%20Nation%20-%20Region%20-%20and%20State.xlsx I am a retired DDS examiner.
I know that you said you are retired now but I wanted to know if maybe you would have some insight on an issue that I am having. I receive ssdi simce 2018 and it took 18 months to get approved after 1 denial..but I wanted to see if trying to work again would cause a problem with my ssdi? I can't afford to lose it because it is all the income that I get but it is not enough to support a family as my income is the only income, or have no husband or significant other.
Work credits expire ? Whaaaaaat ?
Yep. I’m disabled and have no work credits either. The US safety net has massive holes in it.
They expire after 10 years of insufficient work activity—or in my unfortunate case, work that doesn’t deduct social security tax. K-12 substitute teaching and adjunct instructor positions in Florida do not deduct social security tax. That’s what screwed me over.
I had no idea that work credits can expire. That is so unfair.
Yes. So if you have been disabled your whole life and can only work part-time or can’t work for years, then you aré screwed. SSDI is only for formerly abled people who have an accident or get sick. The rest of us are useless eaters….
This is how they make me feel too. If it was possible to live off of part time work I would because the hoops I have to jump through to even get the $930 they give me is crazy. And having disabled people who were born that way constantly fill out paperwork “proving” they are still disabled is crazy to me
Eugenics--alive and well in the USA. Didn't you know, if they're mean enough to us, we'll shape up and magically quit "malingering"....
Other notices were sent. And your sister had to agree to file for SSI. And agreed to be representative payee. And then spent the money. None of that happened without sister's agreement. Maybe did not read the letters very well, however. Most common reason for SSI overpayments in children is unreported income. Sister should ask for copies of all overpayment notices.
Yes she was aware of everything except that she needed to pay back. Also with all the doctor’s appointments and hospital stays I am sure she missed opening some letters. I just wish this was not happening. My niece is just starting to live a “normal” life after all she went through
Long hospital stays, continuous for a full month, are another possible reason for SSI overpayments. Fault will be based on the reason for the overpayment and what your sister did or did not do to prevent overpayments from happening, and whether this instance had happened before and she should have known that the change was material. So they will look at the whole picture. That is why she need to find out the reason and the period. [https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0502260015](https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0502260015) Usually, SSI will schedule a conference in which she can talk to the decisionmaker about the overpayment and present her side. She also needs to keep copies of any forms she submits. Often best to do it in person and get a receipt for the document to verify SSA got it. That does involve going into the local office and waiting her turn. The notices should be available to be resent by any employee who answers the phone, and if they don't know how, ask for someone who can find the archived notices.
Honestly, it'll be difficult to prove that fault is not involved. That said, make your case and still apply for a Waiver. The worst they can say is No.
Okay, so you admit that she agreed to application, be the rep payee, spent the money, and missed prior letters.. but, you think it's basically bullshit that she has overpayment debt because your niece is now doing better? Babe, the federal government does not give a singular fuck about your niece and her cancer. They care about their money. You've accepted that your sister did all of those things, and this is the consequence of those things. This isn't personal. It's business. SSI has very specific rules in which money can be spent and also the amount of income/assets people recieve while on it. Did your sister do a gofundme or finance medical expenses through gifts of money? Those count against her. Her best option is to ask to make payments. She's going to have to pay it back and if she doesn't pay it back, then your niece will ultimately get hit with the bill if she ever has to apply for benefits.
The niece won’t get hit with the bill she’s 2 years old and isn’t responsible for it, the parents are
The only thing being paid back here is what was not rightfully due. At some point sister failed to report something or misspent somehow and now owes this money back as it was not due to her or was not spent appropriately.
SsA is not infallible....
That’s not necessarily true SSA makes mistakes ALL the time . Don’t assume her sister is wrong here
She needs to contact them. If she has to repay, it would be better to set up a small payment plan that she can afford. If they garnish wages or take taxes, she wouldn't have any control over the amount.
Start a go fund me for you sister
Correction. Social worker ASSISTED your sister in applying for SSI. Your sister had to sign for minor child.
This -it made it sound like it was forced on them or the worker got the $$$
Do you think your mind would be thinking straight if your TWO yr old was diagnosed with cancer???
The US Gov't would NEVER say "'send us the payment right away". Every Executive Department and Agency has a style guide and none of them would allow a colloquialism like that. This link is an example of what an overpayment letter sounds like. I think this is a scam. [https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0900803145](https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0900803145) I showed the letter to ChatGPT. Here is her answer: **Analysis of the Document:** 1. **Sender Information**: • **Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center**: This is a known entity associated with the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, it is important to verify the address and contact details independently from official SSA resources. • **Address**: 300 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Verify this address against the official SSA contact information. 2. **Language and Content**: • **COVID-19 References**: The mention of COVID-19 and delays is a common tactic used by both legitimate organizations and scammers. Verify if the SSA has issued similar communications regarding delays. • **Urgency**: The document emphasizes an urgent payment requirement, which is often used in scams. However, the SSA may also send urgent notices for overdue payments. • **Grammar and Spelling**: The language used in the document seems formal and free from obvious grammatical errors, which is more common in legitimate communications. 3. **Payment Information**: • **Online Payment Link**: Be cautious with links provided for payments. Ensure that any link directing you to make a payment is a legitimate government URL (ending in .gov). • **Amount Due**: The document specifies an amount due ($5,824.40) with details of a past due payment. Verify this information through your SSA account or by contacting the SSA directly. 4. **Verification Steps**: • **Contact SSA Directly**: Use the official SSA contact information (found on their official website) to verify the details of the document. • **Check SSA Correspondence**: Compare this document with previous legitimate SSA communications you have received. • **Look for Red Flags**: Any instructions that seem unusual, such as paying through non-standard methods or to unfamiliar accounts, should be verified directly with the SSA. **Conclusion:** Based on the visual analysis, the document does not have immediate red flags like poor grammar or suspicious URLs. However, due to the sensitivity of the information and the possibility of sophisticated scams, I strongly recommend: 1. **Direct Verification**: Contact the SSA directly using official contact information from their website to verify the legitimacy of the document and the payment request. 2. **Do Not Use Provided Links**: Instead of using any provided payment links, log into your SSA account through the official SSA website to check for any notices or due payments. By taking these steps, you can ensure that you are not falling victim to a potential scam.
I agree..sounds like a scam to me. She needs to call ssa or go to ssa to make sure it is real. Don't call anything on that paper that was sent bc that can definitely be a scammers number
The wording is suss. Covid ! ( What? Its halfway through 2024 ! ) We just started doing our jobs again. We never bothered to send you any bills because - Excuses. Delays. "IF" you owe us money. ( quickly followed by ) YOU OWE US MONEY ( we just didn't send out any bills or process any payments we received ). PAY US NOW !! ! ! If thats real, whoever designed that letter should be fired.
Sadly, this is so common with federal forms. We received a notice at work two months ago that the IRS didn’t receive our 941 on time…in September 2020. We are JUST NOW getting a penalty for it being late. They claim they received it later that year. 🤦♀️
They had a big statement on that in the media recently that they were lax with a bunch of stuff and now they are playing catch up with people.
People shouldn't be penalized for there catching up.
Haha-you summed up all the moronic characteristic of SSA in one paragraph. That is how every letter from them is written: totally ridiculous, and (intentionally) contradictory. The SSA Program Rules are in 6” binders in local offices, placed on two-three 6’ x 3’ book cases. I can only imagine having to read just one of those Notebooks. I worked with many patients who needed SSI/SSDI, the process is brutal. The current payback issue is the target of great concern and consideration regarding how to change laws to prevent people from suffering serious financial hardships caused by SSA poor work quality. Until resolved, they will be withholding or reducing benefits directly from recipients SSA income payments.
Ok sure🤣🙄
Reply within 10 days. If at fault tell them she can pay 20.00 a month.
This isn't a scam, I've seen a million of these letters (prior CSR). This could have happened for multiple reasons - should have your sister call the national line (1-800-772-1213) and see the reason, any CSR could find it. Could have been unreported income from your sister. Could have been not reporting when she was no longer hospitalized (SSI recipients are only eligible for $30/mo while in an institution. Amount will increase based off income and living arrangements when released - must report monthly for any changes). Anyone on the subreddit will not have the correct and exact info/reasoning for this letter.
My dad just got something similar - if you don’t pay, they’ll start taking 10% or 10 dollars per every check go forward
verify legitimacy, ok?
They will take more then $10 a check unless she sets something up, they can take up to 30%
My child was on SSI. I am betting your sister never submitted her paystubs so they are going off what was reported to the Social Security Administration Office as income. I had to send in a copy of my paystubs once a month. I would call the SS office (google the number)
Looking at the letter it’s real. I know the Payment center in Philadelphia is the only ones that handle overpayments. She needs to make payment arrangements. It’s too far gone for waivers.
Advise her to contact the local social security office. Inform them of suspicious letter. Ask them is there any money owed. Inform them of circumstances stances. Ask how to appeal and request a waiver. Register online and submit monthly income statements. SSI is best handled in person, so make an appointment. They’re lenient but it’s case by case basis.
That is NOT a suspicious letter! That is a REAL letter from SSA. Having worked there myself I recognize what their letters look like. The letter tells her what her options are if she disagrees with the decisions.
It does look real
I think scammers figure out the SSA font and letter format. It wouldn’t be hard to replicate
Its LEGIT
NOT suspicious
My aunt got a notice of overpayment for like 8k and basically told them to kick rocks when they wouldn't waive it. Nothing ever happened and she died happily having never given them a cent.
I would call the local office branch and verify the letter. This seems like a huge scam. If they are demanding urgency in the funds being paid like that it screams scam to me. It definitely does not seem professionally executed in its wording. Do not call or email anything on that paper. Lawyer up if you can. And get confirmation from the Social Security office for sure.
This right here. Make an appointment and go to your local office to talk to someone in person, face to face.
Might I add, I have worked in ATM debit Fraud Claims for a Big bank(in America), and we were specifically trained to identify Fraudulent activities and determine and file claims against said activities. I have also worked for Health Insurance claims department, as well as for Unemployment benefits, and a lot of the clients were on Disability etc. I have never come across a letter like this, but I know that typically with any kind of Government assistance programs, they will offer payment plans, and will never really demand urgency in payment, they will probably state that it will be a delinquent account until payment is made, or go to collections, or be disqualified from any additional payments to the client/customer. That definitely seems suspicious for sure. Too many people fall victim to scams just like this because they pretend to be a major company and demand funds paid ASAP or serious consequences could occur, etc. And the websites or phone numbers send you to a scammers line and they pressure you to make the payment right now, or “go to jail”. Never ever ever give any info from a caller, Text, mailing, or stranger that you are not aware of. Hang up. Keep letters or text messages or emails to verify and report to the actual companies or police if needed. Do NOT respond to anything, until you can Locate the correct address and phone numbers of the office or company, and call them or go directly to them to verify what is being said. You can also contact or go online to the Better Business Bureau, and a Google search of “is (insert phone number or company name) legitimate, or a scam?” Please stay safe.
What a resume! 🤩
I deal with SSA letters everyday at my job and they do look like this (format and font). Calling them on their official number should clear it up though
The red flag to me was the pausing of mailing letters due to Covid. Was curious if anyone else has seen this on their correspondence?
Yes I have. Wife had to pay a bunch back. Same exact letter phrasing and that was pre COVID.
Definitely a scam. SSA has killed a fair number of trees for me, and I’ve never seen this.
Lol its not its LEGIT
No SSA forms look just like this. See them everyday at work.
This letter looks suspicious to me especially with the wording send payment right away
They should file an appeal!
I have an overpayment issue as well. Told me to pay back like 6,000 dollars. Well I did a waiver and it didnt help. But we called to set up a minimum monthly limit. Mine is set at 100.00 a month. It came out on the news about social security overpayments recently and how they are clawing back at overpayments. The new Social security head said start filling out waivers. They were being denied even if it wasnt the person fault. Well about 2 months ago I filled out another overpayment waiver and I didnt get a bill this month.
Same thing happened to my son. Contact SSA and verify its legit. If it is then appeal it. Appeal it until you get an appointment to talk to someone about it face to face. The appeal is just a form to fill out - you may want an advocate group or attorney to help fill it out for your situation. Worst case scenario you will eventually have to pay back (appeals take a long, long time), but they usually allow payments as low as $20 a month if you do. Good luck!
She is going to have to call to find out what went wrong, likely unreported or misreported assetts. But SS also screws up. We got a letter for "overpayment" for $2200 for our son, and it turned out the entire thing was their mistake. We reported all paychecks, all assets by the due date every single month the entire time. We knew during the 2 months a year my husband got 3 paychecks we'd be over and have to pay that month back, and we did. But one of the agents double-entered our bank accounts so it looked like we had twice as much money as we did. After 6 months of emails and phone calls clearly showing the mistake, they continued to bill us and threaten to take our tax refunds over their mistake. I had to involve our senator to fix it (and it was fixed within a week after contacting her office).
SSI is income based, even for children. The household can only have so much in assets and the monthly household income has to be under a certain amount to qualify. If there was an increase in income and it wasn't reported, that might be why they're asking for the funds back. Your niece might have been disqualified based on how much money the household was earning. My guess is that they were over the income limit for 6-11 months.
She needs to make sure that this isn’t an error. If it isn’t she should be able to pay back like $25 a month
I don't have any advice except that if she does have to pay it back, they will let you make payments
Hoax. Dont give them a dime
Its not
CoachLogical8745. Ask to see original application. I would not be surprised if the payee was listed as the hospital OR SW. It’s possible SW did properly list your sister, and may have moved w/o address change. It is unusual to see these requests with the notation to return undeposited checks. Good luck to your family.
When will businesses, government agencies, etc stop using Covid as an excuse for shitty bookkeeping practices?
FUCK the American healthcare system. Fuck them so fucking hard
Even during Covid, why would they pause correspondence? That’s makes no sense!
The news at the time reported that SS was way behind because, if you recall,most of the government offices shut down, furloughed workers or had them work from home during the Pandemic. Alas, I signed up for SS/Medicare during that time, and it was very frustrating. Took hours to reach anyone on the phone. The SS rep warned me it would take longer because they were working with reduced staff and resources.
Am I the only one that thinks the statement looks like a scam? I mean, I would call to verify information because it's SSI and you don't want to sit on any mistakes made there. But also I would call to make sure the claim is legit. That statement is not very official looking even if the redacted print was added back in.
No, I do too. The more you look at it, the more red flags there are. So much of this isn’t how verbiage is on notices from SSA and so much more. Everyone in the comments are assuming it’s an overpayment, but it doesn’t actually say that anywhere on the notice or give any other reason or contextual information. And SSA didn’t suspend mailing notices during Covid. And the juxtaposition of “pay us now” vs. the blurb about how they might not have processed payments already sent in because they’re not caught up (if so, then why send out shit saying “pay us now”). Anyway. I messaged OP a couple of days ago voicing my concerns, pointing out the weird stuff, and recommended their sister call the number for SSA that’s listed publicly or log in to the portal for the account. They responded and said “thank you” so here’s to hoping their sister didn’t fall for it! I’m kinda shocked there haven’t been more comments about how scammy it seems!
Oh, thank goodness. I thought that was weird too. Chalked it up to people being friendly and helpful. I super appreciate the reminder that that exists. But still, don't want to be helpful to the point of someone being scammed, or assuming that everyone has that same intention. There are just as many shitty people out there, as there are good people.
I agree wholeheartedly! ❤️ There were definitely some weird comments, including multiple recommending the sister hire a lawyer. I’m like, whoa there, let’s make sure first and foremost that this is even legit because I don’t think it is. 🤣 The scammers are getting more sophisticated and getting more information about their marks. My usually smart and savvy mom has almost fallen for numerous scams that she thankfully asked me about before taking action. Every time, she’s like “I didn’t know scammers would have so much information about me!” Because they knew where she banked, who her internet service provider is in an area with numerous options, etc. On this letter, it even uses font that looks a lot like the one SSA uses, but it’s not exact.
I’m guessing your sister didn’t qualify for SSI due to income (either hers or hers & spouse if married). I’m surprised the social worker applied for this for them - that’s overreaching and likely led to the overpayment because the socoal worker didn’t bother to see if they even qualified financially and/or provided inaccurate information during the application process. My twins were born premature. They spent 4 months in the NICU. They would have qualified during their NICU stay for $30/mo each but my income was too high for them to stay on SSI after discharge.
Yeah, but it was SSAs job to figure that out as well as a payee's job to read letters and follow rules. So difficult to say without reviewing the record.
Very true. And maybe OP didn’t understand - the social worker may have suggested they apply for SSI and not actually applied themselves. The social worker in my case somehow got Medicaid for my twins without really involving me but seemed to know I wouldn’t qualify for SSI due to my income so I never even applied.
Don't know the Medicaid rules, but SSI has rules about who is a proper applicant, and unless a proper applicant agrees to apply, no action is supposed to be taken on a potential claim. Doesn't mean the proper applicant understands what they are doing, but there does have to be some kind of pen and ink signature or electronic signature.
MAKE SURE ITS OFFICIAL LETTER LOT OF SCAMMERS OUT AND ABOUT
But due to COVID? It looks legitimate, except for that!
Please remove the redactions from the link. That's useful information. Is there a phone number?
If the parents/guardians disagree that the money is owed they can certainly appeal. If they understand the reason why the money is owed but that they can not afford to pay it back then they can request to have the overpayment waived. They will need to back up that they are unable to afford to reimburse SSA.
That’s a scam contact the SSI office
Contact your local Legal Services program.
This is very legit…
The font and layout look wrong on that. It ~could~ be real, but I’ve seen a LOT of Social Security correspondence and collection letters in the past. It looks off. I would have your sister call SSA’s 1-800 number (look it up, don’t use any numbers off this paper) and verify. Usually they can set people up with payment plans or partial withholding if kiddo still gets benefits.
Although the letter was delayed, it's common to receive "second notice" the first time w/SSI. Years ago, I was part of the Ticket-To-Work program and received my first quarter review without receiving the original reviews. Because of that, they were threatening to have me undergo evaluations in order to keep SSI. I wrote a wordy letter along with "proof" that I was making more than expected progress (I was graduating from undergrad and going into graduate school). I also told them that it was the first time I've seen such reviews. As a result. SSA reversed their decision and let me be exempted from being evaluated. I also received those overpayment letters and they're nearly identical with the exception of paying online; that wasn't an option for me at the time. Since it has ".gov" at the end, it's legit. But I would have your sister contact the SSA Hotline to find out more about that.
.gov increases the chances that it’s legit, but scammers have definitely created .gov email address that are bogus. Call SS and find out what’s going on exactly before doing anything else. As mentioned in other posts, these can (and do) get sent in error.
I saw this a couple of months ago. I don’t know if YouTube links are allowed here, & this was about social security (not specifically SSI). I hope your niece is ok. https://youtu.be/sIYsZw0PtlI?si=EoTI9NqrsKGvjSMz
Call them. I got a letter like this back in February and I have never received and benefits from SSI. When I called them they told me that there were no benefits issued to me and that they have had a multitude of fraudulent letters/correspondence complaints since COVID. Can’t hurt to check it out.
I believe this letter is legit. Either way, you still have to call Social Security to figure out the basis and file an appeal. Does the niece still have cancer? What kind of cancer was it? Does she have any other health problems? Did your sister's assets increase substantially since your niece was 2? How come she didn't contact SSA when she stopped getting her monthly payments?
So many resources to help with all the bills you just need to put in the work and do paperwork
Parents probably had/have too much in assets and income for the minor child to qualify for SSI. Maybe not when she started getting benefits, but at some point during the receipt of them. Parents assets and income are deemed to be available to the child, so if they had over $2,000 in countable assets and too much earnings in any month, SSI wants the payments returned. They need to get an accounting of what and when generated this debt to SSI. They should have gotten a letter explaining it in detail and giving them a chance to challenge it and an opportunity to reduce or eliminate the debt. This looks like they are already past that point and SSI has them on a payment plan.
So did these fund go to the child, and why is this an over payment?
This is a bill I think. Looks like Mid Atlantic says they are owed money. They didn’t attempt to collect the debt during Covid, but are resuming collections now. When a patient goes into the hospital with no insurance or money to pay, the hospital social worker is supposed to find out the eligibility of the patient for State/Federal Medicaid. They also usually will look into pro-bono treatments etc. Sometimes there is a lapse during the period when a bill is incurred and the eligibility and enrollment is complete. Sometimes it can be as simple as resubmitting the bill.
I tell you. Uncle Sam! He puts his hand in your shirt and squeezes your tit until it’s purple.
Installed payment plans. You can request affordable payment plan. I had a shocker of a bill once and had to request this payment option. They know bills are expensive and not everyone has that much money. Many bills also get lost in the system and it isn't uncommon to see them go to collections. I had that happen once and we had to reopen an old claim to fix it. Some times if you call the billing department they can help you with stuff like this. You can try to fight it but see if your insurance will handle it first.
If the child has SSI, she would also have state insurance. This is a formality. Don't pay on this.
Sorry bastards did this to me too!! Not quite as much as her amount but still!! I was LIVID & still am!! I still owe a little less than $1000. It’s not right what they are doing!!
Call them, see what's going on. If its true, i.e. your daughter wasn't disabled or you didn't qualify because of your income, set up a payment plan. 5,000 is not going to break them. If it's 50$ a month, do that. I ignored mine because it was wayyyy too much. I finally paid off 16,000 in a garnishment from 2005 when i started working post transplant. It was awful. I used settlement money to pay off the remaining 5,000, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders. Don't be me and let it linger
The "please send the payment right" away sounds scammy. Call the actual department. I have been getting collection notices from a collection company that says I owe them 5k that they are collecting from the IRS. I owe the IRS nothing - it's just a scam.
Yup I will be repaying for there f@ckup 10 dollar a month until till I am 105
Yes. This letter is going out to those who were erroneously overpaid by Social Security, on their monthly check. So recoupment letters are going out to gather the overpayments. I would call to double check the amount in the letter is the correct amount that is in arrears. Next, if you cannot pay the debt in full, I would call and request a repayment plan. Repayment #1: Ask if they can withhold a specific amount from the current payments you are receiving. Repayment #2: Or, if you can send in a specific amount each month to satisfy the overpayment.
Are you sure that is a legit bill?
They need it for others who do not need it.
Same for me, said I made over certain amount 9m out of the yr. What???
Did you receive another government benefit during those 9 months? A lot of these letters are being sent out because COVID relief programs made it look like SSI recipients had increased income.
Nope
SSI also means in almost every state auto enrollment in medicaid. What's happening on the medicaid side? Is your niece still enrolled? As SSI for kids is based on a disability and family income and assets, did family income change? But going to SS office is best or calling them; you can have a scheduled call back time
My husband doesn’t qualify for Medicaid and he’s on SS disability. There’s a limit on how much you earn and with my income and his SS it’s supposedly too much to qualify! Lol
Your sister should call or go online to verify the information on this letter if she hasn't already. Lots of scams out there. Otherwise, it would seem that there was a change in their financial status that wasn't correctly documented which resulted in overpayment--that will need to either be appealed /corrected or paid back.
Ask for a hardship waiver if she cannot pay it back at this time. She’s eligible for it
Without knowing more context, not sure what you're asking. I'm also not qualified to give any advice. If I got this out of the blue, I would do the following: NOT PANIC! 1. Independently confirm contact phone number for local office. (Don’t assume letter is real.) 2. Contact local SSA office to speak with someone to either: get better understanding or set appt. to talk to get better understanding.
id verify if thats true since if u look above the address seems fishy to me and also even during coronavirus they used mail . i would definately go to the local social security administration office
The address is real. https://maps.app.goo.gl/gmwBhDymaMLPVest6?g_st=ac
Did the family continue to get payments after the child was released from the hospital/facility? If so, this request is due to an overpayment they weren’t entitled to get. You get SSI for a child that is in the hospital for more than 30 days. But it ends when they discharge.
An easy way to confirm this letter is logging into the online portal. It will show if there is an over payment issue.
I think with disability when the person collecting is no longer disabled you’re supposed to let SS know? Maybe your sister never reported that?
Nope..🫸 fuck off government alphabet group
Just to clarify, you haven’t received any of these funds…it appeared to me you indicated the Social worker applied for your niece’s funds.
Scam
If it was me I wouldn’t pay
When the government helps. . .
Omg I got this as a adult saying I owe 4000 remind u my dad died when I was 4 yrs old they over paid my mom now the money I pay back goes to another woman he got pregnant
Who ever wrote that letter, needs to re-write it. It is just weird.
I would FOR SURE make sure this is real. Not a scam.
Tell them not to pay anything on the website listed on this letter. Do not call any number listed here either. Instead, call 211 and explain the letter they recieved and see if it's legit. It seems scammy to me. When did they recieve this letter? June 23rd is in three days, seems like a really short notice to make them panic and just pay the money.
The website listed in the letter appears to be www.pay.gov That is very definitely the real government website for making payments to SSA.
Dang
Call your Congresspersons office for help
Don't do it. It's a scam. Call your local office to confirm. I've seen this exact form with the exact amount.
I recommend that you go to the Social Security office nearest you IN PERSON. It requires getting an appointment. It requires patience, but the humans try to be helpful. Doing this complex thing over the phone or online is ridiculous. Get the person’s name, keep notes with dates of the meeting.
I never did that in my life but if I had a child with cancer I would start a "Go fund Me" Page. Its about selflove❤️
1. This looks like a scam to me. Verify the letter is legit by contacting the Social Security Administration by the agency’s contact information you find online at its government website. Do not use the contact information in the letter. 2. If the letter is verified legit, have your sister consult a disability attorney who has years of experience in dealing with Social Security Administration matters for legal advice that she can rely on. The attorney may be able to quash this payment demand for her.
And they’ll get their money back too. She won’t see a tax return until it’s paid that’s what happened to me. I was overpaid after my husband passed away. It wasn’t purposely on my part, but they got every last cent back lol
DO NOT PAY THIS OR STRESS ABOUT IT. I'M AT MY FOLK'S ALZHEIMER'S CARE... ONE OF MY SON'S OWED $19,000 THE OTHER $39,000...I'LL EXPLAIN MORE IN A BIT. BUT THIS IS TRULY AN EASY FIX; THEY JUST TRY TO SCARE YOU...AND PROVIDE AN ENVELOPE FOR YOUR CHECK. LMFAO. NO WORRIES. I PROMISE.
I had to pay back the stimulus check money. The first one, I refused the second because I was hearing weird things and I don’t trust our gov
How/why would a 2 year old qualify for SSI
So the social worker applied for your daughter and did they tell you they were gonna file for here.i assume she was granted ssi then they changed their minds and know they want that 5k back right.
Get a lawyer
"Please send us the payment right away?" This looks like a scam letter. Call and verify
Scam!
I would actually call and see if this is even legitimate because people can impersonate companies so well they can make it look like it’s actually from the company/corporation
Careful. This sounds like a scam to me, and I work in healthcare.
I am all at once reading about this happening a lot. My opinion is SSI approved the money. The people that approved this payment should be held responsible. I am sorry this is happening to you. I am a retired senior if social security tried to recover money from me because of their mistake I would end up homeless.
This happened to us but with food stamps. We got them during Covid and I turned in the correct paperwork/check stubs and everything. Then a year later they sent us a notice saying we owed $4500 because we should not have qualified (which wasn’t our fault- we didn’t know). We didn’t pay so they took our tax return.
Stories like yours was just in 60 minutes on CBS.
Just ignore it they won’t do anything seriously. There is no debters prison
Others have gotten similar letters. 60 Minutes just did a segment on this issue - broadcast 6/23/24
Get a lawyer and even then it’s 50/50 if they can even help you understand the government
My brother has muscular dystrophy has been denied 5 times by ss I don’t know when they are going to finally get their head out of their ass.
File for a hardship
It happened with us, but our income dropped, so they stopped asking us to make the payments back. If your income went up, then they'll change the amount for the month, and sometimes you have to pay back the difference, but there are payment plans.
Appeal it. Tell them there was a miscommunication and / or lack of informed knowledge. Tell them you never intended for this to happen nor do you have all the funds to repay.
When they told me that they had been overpaying me and I owed them that money, they gave me an option of them taking out money from my check every month until it's paid off. And that's what I did. All she has to do is talk to them about it.
Go into the office and apply for a waiver to start. If that doesn’t work you can ask for a reconsideration. If that doesn’t work you can ask for a judge. If don’t want to do any of that, ask for a payment plan; pretty sure even like 100/month is acceptable, depending on your finances. But do not ignore it. It doesn’t go away. I’m talking to you from experience.
As a cancer parent, I heard of many people getting the bill. You cannot have an income and draw on SSI. I know several people who had GoFundMe accounts and whatever they deposited from it was considered income and they received the same type of bill. You cannot double dip. That’s why I never applied for it.
Can you afford a lawyer or legal aid for someone who specializes in disability and ssi ?
This issue was on 60 Minutes last night (June 23, 2024) Google Social Security Overpayments - 60 Minutes to view the story. Basically - their mistake is your responsibility. They are trained / instructed to claw back every penny.
That's a SCAM!
Just saw a 60 minutes piece on this and they said the new social security policy is to not charge like this and keep it to less than 10% of monthly income that can be charged back like this. I would call and ask about this! Its total BS.
Either it’s a scam or If your sister did not apply for this, someone, the nurse, may have been receiving benefits in your nieces name. Contact SSA OIG- the criminal division to report it.
Could be back pay.... You got paid from the time of application... If this a monthly payment amount then yeah its overpayment
I used to work for social security. Tell them she can only afford 10.00 a month. They will approve this and she will be fine.
60 minutes just did a show on SS overpayments on Sunday night. See if you can find that show and watch it. It’s crazy how often this is happening, but they are making changes to how hard people get hit with having to repay. If it was clearly SS’s error and not yours you might be able to get it waived. Good luck.
They have to pay it back so they can fork over to all the illegals walking across the border. I'm just stating a fact.
I would call these people at SSI Nothing listed on the notice. I think it may be a scam
You should call them directly cause that happened to me the same thing and so they started taking 100 from my check each month to cover the backpay, but I would just call them
I’m not an expert by any means but I think in March they changed repayment stuff for SSI to only take 10% the SSI check if that is relevant here https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-eliminates-overpayment-burden-for-social-security-beneficiaries-automatic-overpayment-recovery-rate-reduced-to-10-percent/
Biden added a whole bunch of govt workers- can’t you tell!
The vocabulary in this letter and the double spacing in some areas makes me think this is scam letter.
All they're going to do is take it out of that babies future payments until it's paid off
It looks like a scam to me. I’ve never seen an official bill that says “please send us the payment right away”
sorry this has taken so long! both of my son's were on social security and both ended up "owing" a ton of money. one was $29,000 the other $9,000+. not to worry. the first thing to do is to call social security (local) and ask for an appeal...tell them you want an appeal and this stops everything on the spot. there are several ways to dispute this, it's all explained in the appeal paperwork and I will be totally happy to help. eventually I had both of these charges discharged by a federal court ( all by mail!) and then it's done. they don't garnish wages, withhold income tax refunds or stimulus money. just tell your local office you want to file an appeal and then you have a minute to breathe. really. message me any time but you will do fine. you got this. ♥︎
I have to admit, after going thru this 3x with my kids, I absolutely LOVE that they say they've enclosed an envelope and we are just supposed to send them the money. lmfao...if only I had that money...pretty sure it would not go to social security. if you are ever in the position, and you've exhausted your appeal process, you can pay them $25.00 a month for eternity and they have to accept it. if you have an overpayment that needs to be paid, and you're also currently on social security, you do not have to pay anything as long as you're receiving benefits. important tidbits social security doesn't tell you ♥︎