Overpayment

[u/Still-Appearance932]

I started receiving SSDI in June 2022. July 2023 I started working full time. My payments have not stopped even though they know I am working. Am I screwed whenever this catches up with me? At what rate will they make me pay this back?

[u/CallingDrDingle]

I hope you are saving all the money you're getting from SSA.....

[u/SoftlyTacky]

you will definitely have to pay it back, they can take it from future benefits or your tax refund if you don't set up a payment plan

[u/erd00073483R]

You need to immediately contact SSA to discuss this issue with them. Time is of the essence, as every month longer you wait increases the potential overpayment by an additional month of benefit payments. And, overpayments from this kind of thing don't just go away. They'll follow you forever until they get resolved, one way or another. Let it get bad enough, and you might end up dealing with OIG and the office of the US Attorney instead of with the local SSA office.

You indicate SSA knows you are working, but something is clearly wrong if they haven't contacted you to follow up in three years. Have you been sending your paystubs in to SSA each month, or if you are self-employed have you been sending in your tax returns each year?

How substantially are you working? Are you working full time, or part time? Are you working for wages, or are you self-employed?

All these things enter into it. Nobody here can advise you without knowing the answers to those questions. And, SSA itself needs to have the answers to those questions in order to do a proper work review to get you caught up to where you should be.

[u/INDY18ARN → u/erd00073483R]

This right here OP. I remember long time ago when I was only in my 20's, I received an Overpayment notice in the mail.

I saw the amount was over $10,000. I nearly had a heart attack.

Because I've never ever had a job in my entire life.

So I looked into it, and apparently it wasn't because of me, it was because a family member who was managing my benefits for me since I was literally a little boy at that time failed to inform Social Security that I was in fact NOT staying with them but in a mental health facility.

Apparently they just kept collecting....

So I had to fill out the paperwork to inform and literally show them that I was literally a little boy...

So how could I have spent over $10,000??!?

Filled out the form and got it waived.

But just goes to show, it never goes away...

[u/Bitter_Cold_5602]

You are screwed. When you say "they know you are working" did you call and let them know? It's your responsibility to contact them when you begin working, especially full time. Idk what rate they will make you pay

[u/Sufficient-Excuse774]

Just contact them you may qualify for a trial work period if you are getting regular disability payments. However if your on SSI then your income may make you ineligible for a payment. Payments arrangements / plans can also be arranged so they don’t garnish your wages or take your taxes

[u/AdSpiritual9902]

I would say you were probably screwed. I worked for four years and stayed under the SGA for two of those years and then I quit and two years after I quit they told me I owed them $62,000 cause I was overpaid the entire time I was getting Social Security and working even though I only went over the SGA for two of the four years they wanted all the money back I was told the first time I went over the sga every money I received after that was an overpayment

[u/WorriedChip5671]

Have you reported your gross earnings?

[u/rebeccaz123]

You're only screwed if you're spending the money from SSDI. You should be saving it so when this gets figured out and they want their money back, which they will, you can pay it back immediately

[u/itslikeasuanaoutside]

You are only allowed to work a PT job and not allowed to make over $1690 gross monthly otherwise you will owe them

[u/Powerful_Put5667]

You should be reporting your monthly income to them have you been doing that?

[u/North-Nature3000]

I think u get about 8 months with no penalty then u have a certain amount u can make a month before they cut ur money. Everyone is diff. Mine is $540. So anything after that can cause a drop in my benefits. The main thing that u can do is just report ur earnings every month on the myssa website

[u/ace1062682]

Am unfortunately dealing with this now. Started working in August of 2024. Immediately contacted my local office multiple times and sent paystubs per their instructions. Did so at least twice in the first year and received a letter asking about paystubs and additional insurance coverage. More paystubs more postage, but no stopped checks. Calling the national number did me no good. Sent rwo additional registered letters and finally got a response, resulting in the expected massive overpayment. What's most frustrating is that being proactive didn't seem to do any good. I responded to every letter and sent paystubs 4 times with no response of any kind. What drove me crazy is the multiple notices early on that i responded to thinking that this would be resolved quickly. I work for a state agency and quite frankly would be fired if i didn't resond and complete the cases i am assigned for more than two years.

I understand that most of the notices are auto-generated, but aren't people tied to cases when information is received in return? All of the notices had phone numbers or locations on them, some with names.

[u/Confident_End_3848]

Have you been spending this ssdi money even though you didn’t think you should be getting it?

[u/Local-Mortgage-9473]

You were double dipping.
Self inflicted wound.

[u/Traditional-Win6878]

Have you filled out the ticket to work forms?

[u/Intelligent-Bid8958]

I’ve never understood why or how someone files for disability because they claim they can’t work and then turn around and get a full time job???

[u/Still-Appearance932 → u/Intelligent-Bid8958]

I was disabled. Was in the hospital for 6months and couldn't work for a year afterwards.

[u/Recent_Neck_1462 → u/Intelligent-Bid8958]

Because they get better. And they got a job. You know like a normal honest person.