Now that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is investigating Social Security’s finances, the program has come under investigation. Because of this, Social Security is committed to recovering as much money as possible from incorrect payments.
Ruth Podmanik, 65, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, ended up in a difficult predicament as a result. The recent retiree disclosed that in 2012, her spouse, Ed, died of leukemia.
She had just received approval to begin receiving Social Security benefits from her late spouse. However, as reported by News 5 Cleveland, they are now pursuing Ruth for about $70,000 that the agency says was inadvertently given to Ed. “I’m afraid,” Ruth said to people. “Will I need to sell my house?”
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, just 0.3% of Social Security’s payments are incorrect, and the agency’s payment accuracy rate is over 99%. However, according to its Office of the Inspector General, Social Security made around $72 billion in incorrect payments between 2015 and 2022.
Podmanik claims that throughout the five months that her husband was unemployed owing to his sickness, he was paid by Social Security. However, Ed continued to receive payments from Social Security once he returned to work.
According to her, Ed “constantly” called the Social Security Administration (SSA) to inquire as to why he was still receiving payments. They informed him that due to his illness, he was entitled to the money. Ruth is currently being pursued by Social Security for overpaying Ed by more than $69,000. “They never once mentioned to me, ‘Hey, you know you still got an overpayment here?'” Podmanik said.
We went through this with my Grandma and it took a lot of time & paperwork to get SS to go from taking 100% of her monthly benefit to ‘only’ 50%💔
‘It wasn’t my mistake’: Social Security told Ohio widow they overpaid her $70K — and now they want it back https://t.co/1AwHozHY9s
— My Loved One Is Missing (@mylvd1ismissing) May 18, 2025
She has contacted the SSA to address the issue, but she is not receiving any response. She’s not alone, either. Natasha Pietrocola, director of Cuyahoga County’s Division of Senior and Adult Services, stated, “We’ve seen an increase in the volume of people calling and looking for help every year.”
According to her, many elderly Americans are concerned about the repercussions and are perplexed by Social Security overpayments. Seniors’ benefits may be withheld in order for Social Security to recover its funds. Pietrocola, however, said, “that’s going to have devastating effects for them to be able to actually afford to live.”
A recent SSA adjustment is partially to blame. The agency stated in March that it aims to recover overpayments at a 100% rate. This implies that in order to recoup money that is due, the SSA may withhold 100% of an individual’s monthly benefits.
This is just basic database maintenance – not waste or fraud – since there’s no proof that anyone was actually receiving benefits. A fix like this should take minutes, not two weeks.
All you had to do was run a simple query:
“Find everyone listed as 120+ in the system”
Then mark…— Ilyas Ibrahim Mohamed (@iiliyaa) March 18, 2025
The modification modifies an earlier regulation that allowed the SSA to recover overpayment payments by withholding no more than 10% of benefits. Over the next ten years, the adjustment is anticipated to aid Social Security’s recovery by about $7 billion.
Later on, Social Security changed their messaging to restrict clawbacks to no more than 50% of benefits. You can depend on your Social Security income to pay for your expenses if you receive it. Therefore, it could significantly affect your capacity to pay your payments if you receive a notice informing you that your monthly checks are being cut because of an overpayment.
My mom died at 5:14am on a Saturday in 2002
On Monday, Social Security cleared out her bank account on SUSPICIONS that she didn’t deserve her last SSI check. <48 hours
It I took me 6 months to get the $$ back
They KNOW who’s deceased
Elon doesn’t#MAGAMorons dont know shit https://t.co/MFZkQ7FkTE
— Rev. Dr. Sheri Pallas (@SheriPallasPhD) February 18, 2025
If that occurs, you should first get in touch with the SSA and request an explanation if you have any questions or concerns regarding the notice. You might want to schedule an appointment to talk with a representative in person at your local Social Security office if you are unable to get a response over the phone.
An appeal of an SSA judgment is also conceivable. You might also consider your alternatives for affordable legal aid if that doesn’t help. Making a Social Security account and keeping an eye on it on a regular basis is also a smart idea. Additionally, if your benefits disappear or you begin to receive lesser benefits, don’t hesitate to contact the SSA.
Podmanik continues to pursue answers from Social Security in the meantime. “There’s days when I sit here and I cry,” she stated. “I didn’t make the error. The overspending wasn’t my husband’s fault. They made a mistake.
