Frequently Asked Questions

Social Security Disability is a monthly benefit that you earn by working and paying payroll taxes. It exists to protect people who are unable to work due to a medical condition. If you had to stop work because of a physical or mental disability, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability.

SSI is a monthly benefit that exists to help people who cannot work due to a medical condition, and who cannot otherwise support themselves. If you cannot work due to a medical condition, and you don't have enough other income or resources to pay your bills, you may be eligible for SSI.

An overpayment happens when Social Security thinks that they paid you too much money, usually due to income that they were not aware of. If you are charged with an overpayment, Social Security will try to recover their money by reducing your Disability benefits by 50%, or reducing your SSI by 10% until they have been repaid. This can have devastating consequences for people who rely on their Social Security checks.

If Social Security made a mistake in finding that you were overpaid, you can file an appeal to reduce or wipe out the overpayment. If you cannot afford to pay back the overpayment, and you reported all your income and resources to Social Security, you can file a waiver to have the overpayment written off. If you cannot afford the reduction in your monthly benefits, but you could pay back a smaller amount, you can request a payment arrangement.