An overpayment happens when you’re on benefits and you receive more money than the amount you should have been paid. You then owe money back to Social Security.
Getting an overpayment notice can be really overwhelming and scary, especially if the amount owed is a lot. Keep in mind that overpayments are really common, and you have options!
Overpayments can happen for different reasons, including:
If you get SSDI, to avoid overpayments, make sure to report to Social Security right away when you start work, stop work, or have a change in hours, duties, or pay. See Reporting Responsibilities for SSDI for more details.
If you get SSI, make sure to report to Social Security right away if you have changes in income, resources, work incentives, living arrangements, or marital status. See Reporting Responsibilities for SSI for more details.
If you need help understanding how income impacts your benefit and how to report your income, check out our toolkits for Working While on SSI or Working While on SSDI.
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To Do: Take a deep breath. Overpayments are really common! It can happen to anyone.
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Tip: You have 30 days (plus 5 mail days) to take action when you receive a notice of overpayment. If you don’t do anything, Social Security will start collecting the overpayment.
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