The Social Security Administration (SSA) has discovered a lot of overpayments. That is why SSI recipients should do their best to avoid them since they can mean having to face an unnecessary financial burden. This article aims to help Supplemental Security Income recipients understand the simple ways to avoid overpayments.
On average SSI recipients get $697, but a monthly payment can be up to $943 for an individual in 2024. After the 2025 COLA increase, the boost will be just 2.5% but benefits will be up to $967 for individuals. If you get an overpayment of the full amount for a few months, it could be awful, so it’d be best to avoid it.
How Can I Make Sure That My SSI Payments Are Correct?
The Agency informs of the steps SSI recipients should take. In the first place, you must report any changes in your life. Of course, all the changes that affect your living arrangements.
How long will SSI recipients have to report these living arrangements changes?
As a matter of fact, you must tell SSA about any changes to your living arrangements within 10 days after this change takes place. In this way, the Social Security Administration will have time to modify your payment amount or cease it if necessary.
Of course, it will depend on the sort of change you report and how it affects your financial situation. Remember that SSI is a benefit program for low-income Americans, so income thresholds must be met all the time.
What are the changes I must report to Social Security that affect my SSI benefits?
Actually, there are 4 important things you must report to SSA. The first one is a change in how many people live in your house, flat or apartment. Imagine you get married and your spouse starts to live in your household.
This is a clear example of something you must report to the Administration. Another thing to inform the Social Security Administration is if you move to live to a new address.
For example, SSA may need to contact you and send you an important notice. If you do not report an address change, SSA may not be able to contact you and you may miss out on important information. If there are more or fewer people in your new address, it may also affect your payment amount. Other things to report are:
- separately buying your own food
- contributing more money to the household for your shelter or food
Source: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-one-third-reduction.htm