Discharging Social Security Overpayments
Many common events trigger a decrease in monthly Social Security benefits, including a change in the number of people in your home, or an increase in income. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires that you report changes within 10 days after the month the change occurred. If the SSA does not get your reported change in time, you may receive an overpayment. Over time these overpayments can amount to a debt you cannot afford to repay.
When an overpayment is discovered by the SSA it will request that you send payment within 30 days. You are entitled to request a waiver and, if the waiver is denied, you may ask for a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. The SSA will look at whether you acted honestly in making its decision to waive the overpayment.
If the waiver process fails, you may consider a bankruptcy. Social Security overpayments are treated like any other unsecured debt in bankruptcy. The debt can be discharged at the end of a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 case. However, the SSA may file a timely objection to the discharge of the debt. The most common reason for objecting to the discharge is that you committed fraud by keeping additional benefits when you knew you were not entitled to them. If the SSA is successful in proving fraud, the debt will be excluded from the discharge.
In a fraud case the issue generally boils down to one question, “Did you know you were not entitled to keep the extra money from the SSA?” These cases are seldom cut and dry because of the SSA’s complex rules, especially when dealing with return to work issues. The SSA seldom files objections in bankruptcy cases, but each case is different.
Social Security overpayments are serious business and require a serious response. If you fail to take action, the SSA will begin taking money from your monthly check 60 days after you receive notice of the overpayment. Your best response is to consult with an experienced attorney. Your attorney can help you weigh your legal options and develop a plan to deal with this debt.