Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The Supplemental Security Income or SSI is a program that provides benefits to individuals who meet certain requirements. SSI is being administered by the Social Security Administration or SSA and pays qualified individuals every month.

Supplemental Security Income Overpayment

There are cases in which SSA commits a mistake where they pay more than the due amount. This is called "overpayment."

Supplemental security income (SSI) overpayment happens when a person receives more money than the right amount for a month. This amount is the difference the amount that person received and the amount due.

Causes of Overpayment

There are various factors that can cause overpayment. The following is a list of some of these factors:

• Change of marital status

• Change of living condition

• Income is more than the amount estimated

• resources go beyond the limit that is permissible

• Wrong amount of benefits by the Social Security Administration because of incomplete or wrong information

Actions of the Social Security Administration

In cases in which there is overpayment, the Social Security Administration will send out a notice explaining the overpayment and asking for a full refund within a period of 30 days. If you do not comply with the SSA and not make a full refund within the given time while receiving checks, the notice will:

• Thoroughly explain your right to appeal

• State the month when the suggested withholding will start

• Propose to withhold the overpayment at a rate of 10% of your total earnings

• Explain how you can appeal the decision made by the Social Security Administration

• Explain how you can ask the Social Security Administration to waive and review the overpayment so that you may not be obliged to pay it back

What to Do After Receiving an Overpayment Notice

In an event where you received an overpayment notice but you believe that you were not being overpaid, you may ask for reconsideration.

If you have asked for an appeal and requested for reconsideration within the period of time specified on the overpayment notice of ten days, any payment that you currently receive from the Social Security Administration will carry on until a decision is made.

In situations in which you agree that you have received overpayment but you think that it was not a fault of your own, you may request for a waiver of overpayment by asking for and completing Form SSA-632 - Request for waiver. If the Social Security Administration grants you a waiver, you will not be obliged to pay back the overpayment.

To be granted a waiver by the SSA, the following must be proven:

• You were not at fault that you were overpaid

• You do not have the capability to repay the overpayment because you are in need of money to meet the expenses of everyday ordinary living

• It might be possible that you are obliged to pass bills so that you cab prove that your monthly expenses use up virtually all of your income and that it will be very difficult for you to make a refund.

To learn more about the Supplemental Security Income Overpayment, you should seek advice from skillful attorneys to help you with your case.