After 14 months, finally resolved my $4,800 Social Security overpayment with Congressional help!
I'm finally seeing the light at the end of this nightmare tunnel! After battling with SSA for 14 months over a $4,800 overpayment they claimed I owed, everything has been resolved in my favor. They had been reducing my monthly benefit by $175 since January 2024 to 'recover' this supposed overpayment. After sending in all my documentation THREE SEPARATE TIMES and making countless phone calls where I either couldn't get through or was promised callbacks that never happened, I was at my wit's end. The kicker? They claimed I didn't report some part-time income from 2023, but I had proof I'd reported EVERYTHING on time! My case was literally gathering dust somewhere until I contacted my Congresswoman's office last month through their website. Within 10 days, I got a call from someone at my local SSA office saying they were reviewing my case after a 'Congressional Inquiry' was opened. Three weeks later, I got another call confirming they had made a calculation error, and my benefits would be restored to the full amount. Today I just received the $2,275 they had withheld since this mess started! If you're dealing with SSA bureaucracy and getting nowhere, PLEASE contact your Congressional representative's office - they have staff specifically dedicated to helping with federal agencies like Social Security and Medicare. Don't suffer in silence like I did for so long!
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Molly Chambers
I'm going thru almost the same thing right now! SSA says I owe $3,200 for 'unreported income' from 2023 but I DID report it!! Been fighting with them since February and they started taking $150 out of my check in April. So frustrating!!! Did you have to provide any special documentation to the congressional office or just explain your situation?
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Adrian Hughes
AuthorI just filled out their online form explaining everything, then a staff member called me the next day. I emailed her copies of my income reporting receipts and the original overpayment letter. She took it from there and kept me updated every week. The key was having proof I'd reported the income - I always keep those receipts from SSA when I report anything. Keep pushing and definitely reach out to your rep's office!
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Ian Armstrong
This is excellent advice. I'm a former SSA claims specialist, and Congressional inquiries absolutely get prioritized at field offices. They're required to respond within specific timeframes, usually 10 business days. Your case highlights a common issue - with staffing shortages and massive backlogs, many reconsideration requests for overpayments sit untouched for months unless something triggers expedited review. For anyone dealing with an overpayment situation, remember you can request a waiver if you believe you weren't at fault and can't afford to repay it (Form SSA-632), or request reconsideration if you believe the overpayment is incorrect (Form SSA-561). Always keep proof of income reporting - receipt numbers, names of representatives you spoke with, and dates of all communications.
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Molly Chambers
Thank you for this info!! I did file the reconsideration form in March but haven't heard anything. I'm going to contact my congressman's office today. Do you know if they'll refund all the money they've already taken out of my checks if I win my case?
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Ian Armstrong
Yes, if your reconsideration is successful and they determine there was no overpayment (or a smaller one than initially calculated), they should refund all incorrect deductions they've made. Make sure to specifically request this when discussing with SSA. Keep records of all check amounts received showing the reductions.
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Eli Butler
same exact thing happened to me last year only it was for $7,500!!! they said i didnt report my husbands pension increase but we DEFINITELY did. took us 9 months of fighting and they finally admitted they lost our paperwork. never thought about contacting congress tho! wish id known that trick, mightve saved us 6 months of stress lol. SSA is so broken anymore its ridiculous.
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Marcus Patterson
It's absolutely criminal how they can just decide you owe them money with ZERO evidence and start taking your benefits! My mother went through something similar with her widow's benefits. The incompetence is staggering.
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Lydia Bailey
I tried calling my local SS office 23 times last month about an overpayment notice and could never get through - just endless hold music then disconnected. Has anyone used that Claimyr service? Just saw a video about it (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) and supposedly they can get you through to a live SSA agent without the wait. Thinking about trying it for my overpayment issue since I'm getting nowhere on my own.
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Mateo Warren
I used Claimyr back in March when dealing with my husband's SSDI application status - worked exactly as advertised. Got through to an actual person at SSA in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold or getting disconnected. Just went to claimyr.com, followed the steps, and they called me when they had an agent on the line. For overpayment issues, definitely worth it since you need to talk to someone who can actually look at your file.
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Lydia Bailey
Thanks! I'm gonna try it tomorrow. So tired of getting disconnected after waiting on hold for ages.
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Sofia Price
UNBELIVABLE how they can just TAKE YOUR MONEY and make YOU prove they're wrong!!! The system is BACKWARDS. They should have to PROVE you owe before taking a penny!! My sister had almost identical situation but gave up fighting after 6 months and just paid the $2800 they claimed she owed because it was destroying her mental health. This is ELDER ABUSE by our own government!!!
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Alice Coleman
100% agree. They're counting on people giving up. The burden of proof should absolutely be on them, not us. Sorry about your sister's situation - that's exactly what they want, for people to just give in because fighting is too exhausting.
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Marcus Patterson
Quick question - did they pay you interest on the money they wrongfully withheld for all those months? They should be required to since they basically took an interest-free loan from you due to their mistake.
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Adrian Hughes
AuthorNo interest at all! I actually asked about that when they called, and the rep just laughed and said "Social Security doesn't do that." Seems really unfair considering they had my money for over a year.
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Mateo Warren
Pro tip for anyone dealing with overpayment issues: the SSA websites don't make this clear, but you can actually request a CONFERENCE with the claims specialist reviewing your reconsideration. This gives you a chance to explain your case directly. Also, if you request a waiver (different from a reconsideration), they're supposed to pause any recovery efforts until they make a decision, though in practice this doesn't always happen. Glad you got resolution through your congressional office - that's definitely the fast track when you're stuck!
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Molly Chambers
After reading this I contacted my rep's office yesterday and they already called me today! They're opening an inquiry with SSA about my overpayment issue. Fingers crossed this works. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Adrian Hughes
AuthorThat's great! Hope you get resolution quickly. In my experience, things moved MUCH faster once the congressional office got involved. Keep us posted on how it goes!
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Andre Laurent
This is such valuable advice! I'm dealing with a similar nightmare right now - SSA is claiming I owe $2,100 for "unreported work" from 2022, but I have all my pay stubs AND the receipts from when I reported everything to them. They've been taking $125 out of my monthly check since October and it's really hurting my ability to pay rent. I've been too intimidated to contact my congressman's office because I thought it was only for "big" issues, but this IS a big issue for me! Going to reach out to them tomorrow morning. Thank you for sharing your story and proving that persistence pays off. It gives me hope that I might actually get my money back too!
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