Social Security overpaid a woman by $35,000. Now the agency wants its money back — pronto.

September 3, 2026 / 12:28 PM EDT / CBS News

More than 75 million Americans rely on Social Security checks each month to help them get by. But sometimes recipients get a financially painful surprise: a notice from the Social Security Administration that their retirement or disability benefits were overpaid — often by thousands of dollars — and that they need to repay the money. Fast.

That's what happened to one Social Security recipient in her mid-seventies who was recently told she owes the agency $35,000. She isn't alone: The agency sends millions of overpayment notices to beneficiaries each year.

Even if the overpayment is the agency's fault, the recipient is still on the hook for repayment.

The woman spoke with CBS News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution from the agency as she navigates an appeal process.

The bad news started earlier this year when her monthly benefit check was suddenly reduced in February by about $600, leaving her with around $2,700 per month after taxes, voluntary withholding and Medicare deductions.

"I started calling Social Security to figure out what happened and [to share] why I was upset about it," she said.

According to a…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/