Elderly man facing homelessness after Social Security orders $60,000 repayment

Salamendacious@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 169 points – Elderly man facing homelessness after Social Security orders a repayment of over $60,000
local12.com

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

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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.

I would argue that if the government makes a mistake then it is on them to own the problem, not the citizens. I might make an exception for a partially large mistake, but presumably most people would report if they suddenly received a million dollars in their social security check so I doubt it would be that big of an issue. Any smaller mistakes should be a write off.

I see a million pop up on me in social security I'm moving it to another bank, converting it to crypto hopping a plane to Ghana or some shit, buying up like $850,000 in silver, and enjoying the rest of my life.

Banks make mistakes and this is generally how it works. Most people will not give 1M back. Statues make it fair.

That is most certainly not how it works. If a bank accidentally gives you a million dollars it's best to inform them and give it back in whatever process they determine. They will not just write it off. They will figure it out eventually.

Rando gets an extra zero is one thing. Getting disability is nearly impossible. I wasted years trying, they gave me a lump sum and then denied the ongoing claim. I've spent 80% of every day in bed for 10 years. When my folks die, I will buy a bullet with whatever is left in the bank. Disability doesn't pay close to minimum wage and no one is living off of minimum wage. Anything given to people in this circumstance should be written off. Anyone in my situation should be buying a second bullet for the assholes coming after people like this. I was just riding a bicycle to work when I got hit. I rode to help save money for my daughter. Providing less than it takes to survive in a country with over 750 criminal billionaires is just as bad as the Nazis sending the disabled to gas chambers. The misery is just strewn out longer in one case.

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.

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

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.

It should be gradual decided by the sum of payments: if you own more, you have a longer term.

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.

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.

This is the type of stuff we need a gofundme for. Hopefully he can get a good lawyer.

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.

Some people have asked me what flavor is my butt hair, whatever flavor you want it to be lol.

One of my Call of Duty teammates named herself KrustyButtHair. So I changed to FlavoredButtHair. The rest of the clan didn't follow through with other butt hair names.