Social Security retirement withdrawal - how to return 9 months of payments after Form SSA-521 approval?

I had a similar situation last year but it only took about 2 weeks to get instructions on repayment. They sent me a letter with the exact amount and payment options. Did you check your mySocialSecurity account online? Sometimes the notices appear there before you get them in the mail.

You generally have about 30-40 days from approval of your Form SSA-521 to return all benefits received. The suspension of your October payment indicates they've processed the withdrawal, but the repayment instructions typically come from a different department. They'll send detailed instructions including the exact amount (which includes all benefits paid minus any Medicare premiums or tax withholdings). DO NOT send payment until you receive these instructions, as they'll provide a specific address and payment reference to include. If it's been more than 14 days since your benefits were suspended, I'd recommend calling and specifically asking to speak with the Processing Center handling your case, not just the general customer service.

are u sure u want to withdraw completely??? u only have to pay back if ur doing a full withdrawal but if u just suspend benefits because of work earnings u dont have to pay anything back. u should double check which one u actually filed for!!!!

I went thru this exact thing in February!! It was such a headache trying to reach someone at SSA who could help. The phone lines were always busy and I kept getting disconnected after waiting FOREVER. I finally tried this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 5 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent told me they needed to transfer me to the payment center for my region, and then I got the exact instructions for repayment. Saved me weeks of frustration!

To address your specific concern: No, you don't need to worry about penalties or interest accruing during this waiting period. The SSA understands there's an administrative processing time between approving the withdrawal and providing repayment instructions. Typically, you'll receive a letter with these details: 1. The exact repayment amount (which may differ slightly from your calculation) 2. Payment options (check, money order, or sometimes electronic payment) 3. Where to send payment (usually a specific processing center, not your local office) 4. A reference number to include with payment The most important thing is to repay within the timeframe they specify in their instructions. Since your October payment was already suspended, your withdrawal is in process. Most people receive instructions within 30 days of that suspension.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU!!! I bet they're deliberately dragging their feet hoping you'll miss some deadline so they can deny your withdrawal. When I tried to fix an issue with my benefits last year, they kept "losing" my paperwork THREE TIMES. It's all calculated to make you give up. Document EVERYTHING - dates of calls, names of representatives, confirmation numbers. You'll need it when they inevitably mess something up.

My mom had to do a withdrawal last year but for different reasons. The payment instructions came exactly 24 days after her benefits were suspended. Just make sure all your contact info is up to date in the system because they sometimes send the letter to an old address.

One additional consideration: since you're returning 9 months of benefits from a different tax year, there may be tax implications. Once you repay the benefits, the SSA will issue a corrected SSA-1099 for the previous year if any of the benefits were from that period. You may need to file an amended tax return for that year to reclaim any taxes paid on the benefits. If the benefits were substantial, you might want to consult with a tax professional after completing the repayment to ensure you properly address any tax adjustments needed.

i think u can just go to ur bank and do a wire transfer. thats what my cousin did when he had to return overpayment. but maybe withdrawal is different idk

Update: I finally received my repayment instructions today! For anyone who might face this situation in the future, it took exactly 17 days from when my benefits were suspended to receive the letter with repayment details. They gave me 30 days to return the money (which was slightly less than I calculated - $19,218 instead of $19,500) and provided a specific payment address and reference number. They included options for check, money order, or an electronic payment through Pay.gov. Thanks everyone for helping me through this stressful waiting period!