Noteboom The Law Firm

Accidental SSD Overpayment Inconveniences Texas Man

Getting an overpayment from the SSA when you receive disability benefits can often seem like a positive thing. After all, you probably have several bills that you would like to catch up on with the extra money. You might even plan to pay it back eventually, but many people find that they never can, and an overpayment gets them into financial trouble. Others simply never make the connection between an accidental overpayment and the extra money.

TimesRecordNews reported how an overpayment recently affected a man in his forties who receives Social Security disability payments. Apparently the disabled Texan did not realize why he had a bit more money than usual. However, the SSA certainly noticed.

The next month, his check was reduced dramatically, leaving him without money to pay his rent. Fortunately, a local charity called Faith Mission reviewed his case and deemed him eligible for a cash donation. They offered a few hundred dollars so that he could pay his rent in full for the month and avoid eviction.

Clearly, an overpayment is not as good as it sounds. Though it is typically the fault of the SSA, if officials notice the excess money, they will do more than ask for it back. They will usually simply withhold it from your next check, often without you even realizing you were overpaid to begin with. If you tend to spend what is in your account, not anticipating a mistake on the part of the SSA, you might consider keeping good track of your exact payment from now on.

You will usually receive a letter in the mail following the payment to explain how the mix-up occurred. If you got the same amount in your account as usual and want to know how it constitutes an overpayment, you should contact a lawyer. In some cases, your benefits might have been reduced without proper warning, and you can appeal to get the missing amount back.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida disability lawyers, LaVan & Neidenberg, represent over 5000 disability claimants. Our disability attorneys have experience with cross examining agency-appointed medical and vocational experts and take time when speaking with you about your disability claim. Call us today at 1-888-234-5758 for a FREE legal consultation. There is NO OBLIGATION to hire our firm and there are NO FEES unless one of our trained disability lawyers wins your case.