Social Security overpayment repayment options - need minimum amount for extreme financial hardship

The SSA's "least that can be withheld" for overpayment recovery in financial hardship cases is generally $10 per month, though they can sometimes go as low as $1 per month in extreme hardship cases. You need to file Form SSA-634 (Request for Change in Overpayment Recovery Rate) and provide documentation of all your income and expenses. Make sure to include everything - rent, utilities, food, medications, transportation, etc. The more detailed, the better your case for minimum withholding.

I went through this last year when they claimed I was overpaid by $3,800. The key is filing the SSA-632 form (Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery) FIRST, then if that's denied, file the SSA-634 for reduced payments. When I finally got through to SSA, they told me they can go as low as $10/month for hardship cases, but I actually got them to approve a $5/month repayment plan by bringing detailed documentation to my local office showing my medical expenses were extremely high compared to my income. The exact minimums aren't clearly stated on their website, but the local office staff have internal guidelines they follow.

my mom had this problem and they took 10% of her check every month until it was paid back. she cried every month cause she couldnt pay her electric bill on time anymore. the SS people dont care at all if u cant afford it.

Try Claimyr to get through to Social Security faster. I was in your same situation last month - spent days trying to get through about an overpayment. I found this service that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. It's at claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it when you're dealing with something this stressful.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!! They deliberately make it impossible to find the actual rules so they can take whatever they want from us! I had an overpayment of $2,500 last year and they wouldn't accept less than $50/month even though I SHOWED THEM I couldn't afford my heart medication at that rate!!! The local office supervisor told me "that's just how it is" and wouldn't show me any documentation about minimum amounts. They just make up whatever rules they want!!!

To answer your specific question about documentation - the minimums aren't clearly spelled out on SSA.gov for the public, but they are in their internal Program Operations Manual System (POMS). The relevant section is GN 02210.030 for Title II benefits. You can actually cite this when speaking with them. While they typically start at $10/month minimum for extreme hardship, they do have authority to go lower in exceptional cases. What's most important is thoroughly documenting your income, expenses, and resources on the SSA-634 form.

i had an overpayment too, they said i could do a "partial waiver" where they forgive part of what i owe because of hardship. might be worth asking about that too

My situation was almost identical to yours last year! I was living on $1,120/month with barely anything left over after bills. Got hit with a $3,800 overpayment. I went to my congressman's office and asked for help with my case. They have caseworkers who deal with federal agencies and can sometimes get things moving faster. Their office helped me file for both the waiver (which was denied) and then for the reduced repayment plan. I ended up with a $15/month repayment which I could manage. Don't give up - there ARE options for people in real financial hardship.

One more important thing - make sure to request the minimum payment arrangement within 30 days of receiving the overpayment notice. If you don't respond within that timeframe, they can start automatic withholding from your benefits (usually at 10% of your monthly benefit). You can still request the hardship rate after this happens, but it's better to prevent the higher withholding from starting in the first place.