Resolve an overpayment (en inglés)

You can pay us back if your benefit amount was more than it should have been. 

If you can't afford to pay us back and you feel the error wasn't your fault or is unfair for any reason, you can request a waiver to avoid having to repay an overpayment.

If you think we’ve made a mistake in how much you were overpaid or that you weren’t actually overpaid, you can file an appeal.  An appeal should only be filed if you disagree with the overpayment amount. 

Overpayments generally occur when we don’t have the right information about you. Always notify us when there are changes in your situation. The changes you need to report may be different depending on whether you receive Retirement, Disability, Family, Survivor, or SSI benefits. 

We will wait at least 30 days after sending the overpayment notice before starting to collect the money. If you ask for a waiver or appeal within 30 days, we won’t collect the money until we decide on your request. If you don’t pay us back within 30 days of the date on your notice we’ll automatically withhold 50% of your benefit or 10% of your SSI payment each month until the overpayment is repaid.

If you no longer receive benefits, the law allows us to collect on the debt in various ways, like withholding your tax refund, certain state payments, or garnishing wages. If you die before you fully repay an overpayment, we may seek repayment from anyone who receives benefits based on your record.