PECULIAR, Mo. (KCTV/CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) - An elderly man is facing homelessness after Social Security ordered him to repay over $60,000.

  • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    74
    ·
    10 months ago

    Apparently this isn’t uncommon. There should be a statute of limitations on how long they can request repayment back for their mistake, 6 mo max or something like that. That way you aren’t having to pay back decades of their fault.

    • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      24
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      This happened to my mom while she was terminally dying in a nursing home paralyzed in a wheelchair, yep the government just stopped giving her social security benefits and started garnishing everything. “oH SoRRy wE oVeRpAiD yOu, wE’rE tAkiNg iT aLL bAcK nOw.” She lived like 10 more years after that. absolute hell.

    • crashoverride@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      10 months ago

      No, no repayment, if someone errors in your favor, they are at fault, not you. They must bear that repayment burden

      • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        While that would be ideal it’s also unrealistic. Banks don’t even operate that way because people make mistakes. A statute of limitations is fair to all.

  • athos77@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    74
    ·
    10 months ago

    More than 65 million Americans receive benefits from Social Security, but about a million each year get notification letters saying they were overpaid.

    That’s way too high a percentage.

  • alienanimals@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    10 months ago

    Huge banks and institutions that “accidentally” give people too much money are entirely at fault in these situations. They should be held liable, not the poor person who is on the brink of homelessness.

    • Salamendacious@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      10 months ago

      Okay… so your username. Is that referring to an additive that tastes like butt hair? Or is it something to make your butt hair more palatable? Either way I’m willing to bet there’s a market out there somewhere for your product.