Hello All,
I just wanted to share with all of those whom receive Disability via Social Security (or Social Security following retirement), along with any of those out there whom are going thru the application, rejection/approval process, to always, ... always do your best to remain vigilante when it comes to your awards and any monthly payments.
I recently had an experience, one that was certainly less than wonderful, regarding something they referred to as an "error in processing." It seems that this sort of issue occurs more frequently than one might imagine.
Without going into too much detail, I received a letter in the mail stating that they had "overpaid" my benefits since my award date, and that I was to repay an amount very large (at least an amount that is large to myself and my pocket book) within 30 days of the arrival of the given letter. Of course I sobbed, was angry, confused and so very overwhelmed, not to mention stressed over the entire thing! How in the world could they expect me to pay this large sum of money back, along with the hit of my monthly amount reduced, literally cut in half, followed by a full with holding of my monthly payments if I was unable to write that big check, when I can barely survive off of the money I already receive each month?!? It was scary, and almost funny, ... I think I was just so bogged down with life's stress before that letter arrived, so to receive something that stated something along the lines of: Please make your check payable to the Social Security Administration in the total amount of $xxxx.xx, I couldn't do anything but laugh hysterically following that initial shock and sob feast!
Well, fortunate for me, after going thru several channels, with most representatives not having a clue as to the what, when, why, or hows of the entire matter, I found a lady that took a longer and harder look at the tangled web of problems. I held my breath for about a month and then received two letters on the same day, both also had the same print date. One letter said that my new application to revise my set of circumstances was rejected, while the other, well it said pretty much the opposite, even stating that once again that there had been an "error in processing" (oh, I am becoming so fond of that vague and unsettling statement), and that they had now decided that they had "underpaid" me, and that I was to receive an extra $12 per month! I must say that this letter was much preferred over the other two! It's been two months since this debacle and it appears, knock on wood, that the latter of the letters and corrections will stick. Yay!
The fact of the matter is, had I not questioned this issue and continued to seek resolution, I would now be without an income, not to mention in debt to the Social Security Administration for monies of which I did not truly owe! This fact is scary and worrisome to say the least, and I certainly wonder how many other individuals have experienced these less then positive turn of events and did not chose to fight it or ask questions. I know that most, if not all people who live off of Disability, already have a lot of stress, mainly medically and physically, and then financially related, and simply do not have the energy, time, strength and ability to get to the bottom of things of this nature.
My mother also had a similar occurence with her Social Security, which was also stated as an "error in processing." She received a letter stating that she too owed x amount of dollars in relation to her Medicare premiums. And, had the amounts revolving around her specific issue not been so outrageously large, she would have very likely overlooked the matter altogether, resulting in overpayment on her part. When she phoned the local offices they said oops, yeah, a lot of people have been getting these letters due to a computer error. But, funny enough, there were no letters sent out to those receiving such letters to rectify the problems.
Case in point, please take the extra time to watch your accounts, monthly payments, and all things related, as you never know what mistakes are being made without any correction. As a side note, I have also noticed that these type of "errors" are being made within the credit card arenas and other locales related to money, even things attached to one's monthly rent or mortgage. It makes me really wonder how many businesses, big and small, are trying to sneak in additional fees, charges, etc., with the hope that few with actually notice. Times are tough and I understand the scramble for money, but personally, it really peeves me to know that people and businesses alike are doing numerous things that are less than ethical just to make some extra doe. I know that this type of issue is not a new one, but it seems to be on the rise, ... a severely steep one!
