When 74-year-old David Carr of Cleveland opened the letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA), he was unprepared for what it said.
The SSA told him that his late wife, Deb Carr — who died in March 2020 — had somehow collected $1,700 in unemployment benefits between March and September 2020. He was notified that he must repay the entire amount, even though it appears someone else claimed those payments.
Carr relies on Deb’s survivor benefits to help care for their two adult children who have special needs.
“That was like a… like a knife right in the ribs,” said Carr. “And I thought, man, I can’t take that because they’ve already lost their food stamps.”
The urgency to repay the money threatened the family’s ability to cover rent, utilities and medical expenses.
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Challenging the claim
Suspicious of the claim, Carr secured a certified copy of his wife’s death certificate. Armed with this documentation, he visited his local SSA field office — only to be rebuffed.
“The guy wouldn’t even talk to me,” Carr recalled. “How could she collect six months of benefits when she passed away in March?”
Left with no recourse, he enlisted the help of News 5 Investigators to press SSA for answers.
After News5 reached out on his behalf, Carr says SSA representatives finally agreed to review the case.
“We’re going to get a letter to you showing that you are cleared from all of this,” Carr was told in a phone call that reduced him to tears. The erroneous overpayment notice has since been rescinded.
How often do overpayment notices occur?
While the SSA disburses benefits to nearly 74 million Americans each month, overpayment notices are not rare.
An audit by the SSA’s Office of Inspector General found that from fiscal years 2015 to 2022, the agency made about $72 billion in improper payments. Moreover, the SSA had an overpayment balance of $23 billion in 2023.
There were approximately 333,000 reported claims of fraud, waste, or abuse in SSA programs and operations.
The overall rate of improper SSA payments is below 1% of the total benefits paid for that period. Nevertheless, even a small percentage of errors can have outsized consequences for households living on fixed incomes.
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Protecting your benefits
Recipients who receive an unexpected overpayment notice can take several steps to safeguard their finances:
Gather Documentation: Collect death certificates, bank statements and any relevant correspondence before contacting SSA.
Contact SSA Promptly: Call 1-800-269-0271 or file an inquiry online at SSA.gov to initiate a formal review.
Seek Advocacy: Nonprofit organizations, ombudsmen and local experts can guide beneficiaries through appeals and complex paperwork.
Monitor Annual Statements: Review your SSA benefit statement each year and enroll in My Social Security to receive electronic notices and so you can detect discrepancies quickly.
For David Carr, prompt action and outside support made all the difference. His experience shows that beneficiaries should never dismiss alarming notices — even when they feel like it’s a nightmare to tackle.
Recipients can defend their lawful benefits by staying vigilant, documenting details diligently and demanding accountability. Being proactive also helps manage uncertainty that comes with a wrongly issued bill.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
