{"id":2074952,"date":"2023-10-21T09:07:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stimulus-check-payment-error-triggers-calls-for-social-security-investigation\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T09:11:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:11:39","slug":"stimulus-check-payment-error-triggers-calls-for-social-security-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stimulus-check-payment-error-triggers-calls-for-social-security-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Calls for Social Security investigation after stimulus check payment &#8216;error&#8217;."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstimulus-check-payment-error-triggers-calls-for-social-security-investigation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2074952&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Senators Demand\u200d Answers from \u200cSocial Security Administration\u200b Over Repayment Requests<\/h2>\n<p>Several U.S. senators are seeking \u200canswers from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after the agency sent out repayment requests to recipients who also received COVID-19 stimulus payments.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past week, numerous regional media outlets have reported that Social Security recipients have received notices from the\u200d agency demanding repayment.<\/p>\n<p>One disabled woman in the Pittsburgh area, who receives Social Security payments, received $3,200 in stimulus checks since\u200b 2020. \u200dHowever, the SSA has now frozen her monthly payments and \u200bis demanding thousands of dollars be\u2064 returned, according to her father, Dave Greune.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/bright\/social-security-cola-for-2024-post-5512765?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Social \u200bSecurity COLA \u2063for 2024<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 10\/19\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/major-announcement-on-social-security-payments-heres-what-to-know-5509723?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Major\u200d Announcement \u200con \u2064Social Security Payments: Here&#8217;s What to Know<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 10\/13\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I \u200djust assumed since the government \u200bput the\u200b money in, they would understand that she\u2019s going to have extra money,&#8221; said Mr. Greune. He added that the agency initially demanded over $7,000 in repayment but later revised the amount.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They\u2019re still after me,&#8221; Mr. Greune said. &#8220;Like, every month, they send another letter. Did you forget? You still owe us $6,000.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In a separate incident, Jo Vaughn, a\u200b disabled 63-year-old in\u2062 New Mexico, \u200creceived $3,200 in federal COVID-19 stimulus\u200c checks.\u200c In \u2064August 2023, she received \u200ca letter stating that she needed to repay the government \u2062$14,026, as reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/social-security-overpayments-congress-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KFF News<\/a>. Her Social Security checks have also stopped coming since August.<\/p>\n<h2>Senators Send Letter<\/h2>\n<p>These reports have prompted Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sherrod \u2062Brown (D-Ohio), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/678758082\/Ssa-Senate-Letter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">send a letter<\/a> to the SSA&#8217;s acting commissioner, Kilolo Kijakazi, regarding the repayment notices.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;We are deeply concerned that beneficiaries are receiving overpayment notices in\u200d error, because SSA is not following its own determination to exclude the stimulus \u200bpayments from countable resources,&#8221; the senators wrote. They emphasized the negative impact of benefit suspensions and\u2062 overpayment notices on the lives of recipients, as well as the\u2064 lengthy bureaucratic process to\u2062 restore eligibility and the risk to their\u2064 access to Medicare\u200b or Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>According to SSA rules, COVID-19 stimulus payments should not count against the asset limit. However, individuals have reported receiving overpayments and being required to repay them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These payments were disregarded as income \u2063for SSI recipients and as countable \u200cresources \u2062for 12 months,&#8221; the senators explained. &#8220;In August \u20622021, SSA\u2063 reversed its ruling and determined \u2064that EIPs would not be \u200ccounted toward \u2064eligibility and payment amount for SSI \u200dpurposes indefinitely.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Advocates have reported that \u2063the SSA &#8220;suspended benefits and \u200dassessed\u200d overpayments to individuals receiving SSI benefits because of the stimulus payments.&#8221; The senators are demanding\u2062 a response from the SSA within 30 days.<\/p>\n<h2>Changes?<\/h2>\n<p>SSA&#8217;s acting commissioner, Kilolo Kijakazi, recently announced that the agency would review \u200bits \u200doverpayment policies and\u2062 procedures\u200d to improve customer service. However, she did not \u2064specifically mention overpayment requests related to stimulus checks.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Despite our high accuracy rates, I am putting together a\u2063 team to\u200d review our \u200boverpayment\u2063 policies and procedures to further improve\u200d how we serve our customers,&#8221;\u200c said Ms. Kijakazi.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>During a House Ways and Means hearing, Ms. Kijakazi\u200c stated that SSA workers will strive to pay the correct\u200c amount to the right person at the right time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Aside from stimulus check-related\u2064 requests, the SSA\u200d has also sent \u2063letters \u2064demanding repayment \u2063from \u200drecipients who were overpaid on their monthly benefits.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Social Security is required by law to adjust benefits or recover\u200d debts when we\u2063 establish that someone received \u2062payments to which they are not entitled and an \u2062overpayment occurs,&#8221;\u200d explained an \u2062agency spokesperson. &#8220;We must maintain our responsibilities to \u2063taxpayers to be\u2062 good stewards of the trust funds.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The spokesperson clarified that fewer than 0.5 percent of Social Security\u2062 payments are overpayments and that \u2062each case is handled individually. They acknowledged that overpayments can happen\u2062 due to various reasons, such as \u200cfailure to report changes in\u2062 circumstances.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A report from the\u2062 SSA&#8217;s inspector general\u2064 revealed that mistakes in computing\u2062 or obtaining information can \u2063lead to overpayments or underpayments.\u200c In one instance, the agency underpaid approximately 14,470 beneficiaries around $59.5 million due to incorrect student information input.<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has \u200breached out to the SSA for comment on the senators&#8217; letter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> Se of these\u200b COVID-19 stimulus payments,&#8221; the senators continued in their letter. &#8220;In\u200b some cases, individuals have received notices asking for repayment of thousands of dollars, causing undue financial hardship.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2> In what ways\u200c can\u200b the PAA (Payment Accuracy Act) be enhanced to minimize the occurrence of repayment demands for COVID-19\u200c stimulus payments and alleviate the resulting \u200dfinancial burdens on affected individuals<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 There are several ways in which the Payment Accuracy Act (PAA) can be enhanced to minimize repayment demands for COVID-19 stimulus payments and alleviate the\u2062 resulting financial \u200bburdens on affected \u200cindividuals:<\/p>\n<p>1. Streamline Eligibility Criteria: The PAA can be revised to ensure that stimulus payments are distributed only to eligible individuals. This could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stimulus-check-payment-error-triggers-calls-for-social-security-investigation\/\" title=\"Calls for Social Security investigation after stimulus check payment 'error'.\">include implementing stricter income verification measures<\/a> or incorporating more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/telling-kids-to-hate-their-biology-might-be-whats-actually-killing-them-2\/\" title=\"Telling Kids To Hate Their Biology Might Be What\u2019s Actually Killing Them\">accurate data sources<\/a> to \u200bdetermine eligibility.<\/p>\n<p>2. Improve Communication\u2064 and\u200c Education: Enhancing public \u2063outreach and education \u200cefforts can help individuals better understand their eligibility for stimulus payments and any potential repayment requirements. Clear communication through various channels can minimize confusion and prevent incorrect claims.<\/p>\n<p>3. Implement Real-time Monitoring: Setting up a system for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-admiral-beijing-armed-south-china-sea-islands-in-largest-military-buildup-since-wwii\/\" title=\"U.S. Admiral: Beijing Armed South China Sea Islands in 'Largest Military Buildup Since WWII'\">real-time monitoring<\/a> of\u200c stimulus payments can help identify\u200c errors or inaccuracies quickly. This\u200d can enable prompt\u200d corrective action to be taken, minimizing the number of individuals who receive erroneous payments and reducing the need for repayment demands\u2062 later.<\/p>\n<p>4. Offer Flexibility in Repayment: If repayment demands are\u2063 necessary, providing flexible repayment \u2064options\u200b can help \u2064alleviate the financial burdens on affected individuals. This could include setting up reasonable installment plans or offering options for individuals to apply for waivers or exemptions based on their specific circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>5. Strengthen Fraud Detection Measures: Implementing robust fraud detection measures within the PAA can help identify and prevent fraudulent claims, reducing the\u200b need for repayment demands in the first \u2063place. This \u200bmay involve leveraging advanced data analytics, machine learning, or artificial intelligence to identify suspicious patterns or discrepancies.<\/p>\n<p>6. Establish Appeals and Dispute\u2062 Resolution Mechanisms: Introducing a fair and efficient appeals process for individuals \u2064who \u200creceive repayment demands can help address \u2062any mistakes \u2062or errors in their specific cases. This would allow\u200b affected individuals to \u200cpresent\u2063 their case and potentially\u2063 have repayment demands overturned or adjusted.<\/p>\n<p>7. Encourage Collaboration with Financial Institutions: Collaborating \u2062with financial institutions, \u2062such as banks and credit\u2062 unions, can help streamline\u200b the distribution of stimulus payments and minimize errors. Leveraging their expertise and infrastructure can enhance accuracy and reduce the occurrence of repayment demands.<\/p>\n<p>8. Continual Evaluation and Improvement: Regularly assessing the effectiveness of the PAA and its impact on repayment demands is\u2062 crucial. This \u2063evaluation should identify\u200b areas for improvement, including technological advancements, policy updates, and additional \u2062safeguards to\u200d minimize repayment demands and alleviate financial burdens on affected individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. senators are questioning the Social Security Administration (SSA) as recipients who received COVID-19 stimulus payments are now being asked to repay them. Regional media outlets have recently reported numerous cases where Social Security recipients received repayment notices from the agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":2074953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2074952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2074952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2074953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2074952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2074952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2074952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}