Social Security Changes Expected for Beneficiaries This Summer

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some Social Security recipients may see changes in their benefits over the coming months. In April, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it would begin notifying beneficiaries who had overpayments in the past.

Beneficiaries who receive overpayment notices will have 90 days to request a waiver or negotiate a lower repayment rate. After this period, the SSA will withhold 50% of benefits until the overpayment is resolved, starting from approximately July 24.

The next scheduled payment for some recipients is on July 23, followed by another on August 1. Meanwhile, some other beneficiaries might see a bump in their payments. This increase is due to provisions in the Social Security Fairness Act aimed at public sector workers whose benefits were previously reduced.

As of July 7, the SSA reported it processed over 3.1 million payments related to these retroactive adjustments. Overpayments occur when the SSA miscalculates a recipient’s benefits or when individuals fail to report changes in income. From fiscal years 2015 to 2022, improper payments accounted for less than 1% of the nearly $8.6 trillion disbursed.

Notably, of the total $72 billion in improper payments, the SSA has recovered all but $23 billion as of September 2023. In February, benefits were also adjusted for public sector workers who previously could not receive Social Security or had reduced amounts due to certain job roles, such as police officers and teachers.

Since the Fairness Act took effect on January 5, 2025, over 278,000 new claims from individuals with pensions not covered by Social Security were filed, with the SSA processing approximately 92% of these claims.

Recipients who receive an overpayment notice have options for repayment, including credit card and online payments. They may also apply for a waiver if they believe the overpayment was not their fault or if repaying would cause financial hardship.

Beneficiaries seeking more information on adjustments or repayments can visit the SSA’s official website.