A RETIREE was shocked to learn that he was expected to pay back his mother’s debt to the Social Security Administration from 1978.
Jimmy Byrd from Arlington, Texas, received a letter from the SSA in September last year demanding he pay $1,400 due to his mother’s overpayment.
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Byrd’s mother who died in 2011 was given the social security payment 45 years before the letter arrived at Byrd’s door.
“They told me that I owed them $1,434,” the 62-year-old told Fox News affiliate KDFW.
“I read the paperwork here and it showed me that it was from January to June 1978.
“Back in 1978, I was only 17 years old…It’s not money I ever saw.”
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Byrd’s father died when he was a young child so his mother received social security for him while he was a minor.
“If we do not receive your refund within 30 days, we plan to recover the overpayment by withholding your full benefit starting with the payment you would normally receive about November 15, 2023,” the letter from the SSA stated.
“We will continue withholding your benefit until we fully recover the overpayment.”
Byrd appealed the payment in person at the local social security board but he was informed in a letter two weeks later that his appeal was denied.
“If you could show me a check from 1978 that has my name on it and my signature to cash that check I’d be glad to pay you back,” he said he told the Social Security Board.
After discovering the denial of his appeal, Bryd once again went in person to the board.
“The gentleman behind the counter looked and me and went ‘You know, that’s just the way it is,” he told KDFW.
To bring an end to the troubling time, Byrd agreed with the SSA that it could deduct $100 per month from his $1,800 social security check over the following 14 months.
“That’s groceries right there!” he exclaimed.
“Something is wrong with the system. I’m worried about all the other people out there getting these letters.
“Someone could have a heart attack over this and I would not be surprised.
“Stop it. Stop this right here because this is not right. I feel almost that you owe me an apology,” he told the SSA.
A spokesperson for the administration told the news outlet that they were holding him responsible because he was working at the time of the payment making his mother ineligible for the benefit.
In reaction to the story, viewers were shocked calling it “disgusting.”
“If it does not have YOUR name on it – WHY pay it back? Unreal,” one wrote in a comment.
“This is disgusting,” another added.
“That’s messed up. This is ridiculous,” a third said.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the SSA for comment and received the following statement:
“Getting an overpayment notice can be unsettling and we work with people to navigate the process.
“We inform people about the fact and amount of the overpayment, their right to appeal, and the options to repay or, in some cases, have the debt waived.
“People have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or the amount.
“They can also ask Social Security to waive collection of the overpayment if they believe it was not their fault and can’t afford to pay it back.”
“We do not pursue recoveries while an initial appeal or waiver is pending,” The SSA continued.
“We examine each waiver request to determine, among other factors, if the person caused the debt and their ability to repay.
“Even if they do not want to appeal or request a waiver, the notice says to contact us if the planned withholding would cause hardship.
“We have flexible repayment options—including repayment of as low as $10 per month.
“Each person’s situation is unique, and we handle overpayments on a case-by-case basis.
“To address this problem more systematically, in October 2023, SSA launched a comprehensive review of our overpayment policies and procedures.
“For example, as we announced last month, we are working to reduce wage-related improper payments by using our legal authority to establish information exchanges with payroll data providers that we expect will significantly reduce the number of improper payments once implemented.”
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