The Social Security overpayment letter, and the deadline inside it
SSA can now take half of your monthly check to recover an overpayment that may not even have been your fault. Two deadlines inside the letter decide whether that starts immediately or not at all.
An overpayment notice tells you SSA paid you more than it should have and wants the difference back. It happens more often than people expect — a return to work that changed the earnings test, a marital status change, an administrative error on SSA’s own end — and the amount can run into the thousands. What decides how badly it hurts is not the letter itself, but how fast you respond to it.
| The current default rate | Up to 50% of your monthly benefit withheld, for Title II overpayments (retirement, survivors and disability) on notices sent on or after April 25, 2025. |
|---|---|
| SSI is different | Supplemental Security Income overpayments are withheld at a separate, lower 10% default rate, unaffected by the Title II change. |
| It moved twice in two months | SSA briefly announced reverting to 100% withholding in March 2025, then reversed that to the current 50% default a few weeks later, before the 100% rate took effect. |
| Two different remedies | A reconsideration (Form SSA-561) disputes that you were overpaid, or the amount. A waiver (Form SSA-632) does not dispute the overpayment — it asks SSA not to recover it because you were not at fault, and either repayment would keep you from covering necessary living expenses or recovery would otherwise be unfair. SSA permits filing both. |
| No deadline on the waiver | There is no time limit to request a waiver. There is a time limit that determines whether withholding pauses while SSA decides. |
The part that actually decides the outcome
File within 30 days of the date on the notice — either a reconsideration or a waiver request — and withholding does not start at all while SSA reviews it. Miss that window and file later, and withholding can already be underway by the time your request is filed; filing then suspends further withholding while the review is pending, but does not undo what was already taken. A reconsideration filed within 60 days still pauses withholding during review. A reconsideration is generally due within that 60-day window, but SSA can accept one filed later if you show good cause for the delay.
The waiver itself has no deadline — you can request one at any time. But requesting it inside that first 30 days is what keeps money in your check while you wait for an answer, rather than having to get it back later if you win.
Also on The Second Half Guide The property tax break you might already qualify for Most states reduce, freeze or defer property taxes at a certain age. Almost none apply it automatically, and the age is lower than people assume. Read it →The amount in the letter is fixed by the time it arrives. The calendar isn’t: responding promptly can decide whether SSA starts withholding your benefit while a challenge or waiver request is still pending.
What to actually do with the letter
- Read the date on the notice, not the date you opened the envelope. The 30-day and 60-day clocks run from the notice date.
- If you think the overpayment is wrong or the amount is off, file Form SSA-561 (Request for Reconsideration).
- If you don’t dispute it but can’t afford the withholding or it wasn’t your fault, file Form SSA-632 (Request for Waiver).
- Reconsideration and waiver answer different questions, and SSA permits filing both at the same time.
- If your income comes from SSI rather than retirement, survivors or disability benefits, remember the 10% default rate applies to you, not the 50% Title II rate.
- You can also request a different recovery rate than SSA’s default without disputing the overpayment at all, if the proposed withholding amount would cause a financial problem — whether it’s approved depends on SSA’s rules and your circumstances.
None of this is a reason to ignore a legitimate overpayment — it is a reason to open the letter the day it arrives rather than the week after, since the calendar inside it, not the balance, is what most people lose control of first.
This is general information, not personal advice. We report the rules, the numbers and the deadlines as clearly as we can. We don't know your income, your state, your health or your family — and all four can change the answer. Treat this as a good place to find the right questions, not a substitute for someone looking at your actual situation.
Where these facts come from
Checked on 27 August 2026 against the sources listed below. Dollar limits and program rules change — if you're reading this well after that date, verify the numbers at the links below.
- SSA — What can I do if I’m notified that I have an overpayment? — https://www.ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-02345.html
- SSA — Resolve an overpayment — https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/resolve-overpayment
- SSA — Form SSA-632, Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery — https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-632.html
- SSA — Understanding SSI Overpayments — https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-overpay-ussi.htm
Edward Silva
Edward spent more than forty years as a computer professional — long enough to pick up one useful occupational habit: when somebody hands you a summary, go and read the actual documentation. He started The Second Half Guide after noticing that most writing aimed at people his age was either talking down to him or quietly selling him something, and that the plain facts — the dates, the thresholds, the dollar figures — were somehow the hardest part to find.
He's married, with two grown sons, both married themselves. He is not a financial adviser, an attorney or an insurance agent, and this site doesn't tell you what to do with your money. It tells you what the rules actually say, and links to where he checked.