Overview

• Beginning July 24, the SSA will withhold 50 percent of monthly benefits from individuals flagged for past overpayments, up from a 10 percent cap established in 2023.
• Notices detailing the new withholding rate were mailed on April 25, giving beneficiaries a 90-day period to review their cases before deductions start.
• Roughly 2 million Americans face the cuts as part of the agency’s effort to recoup about $23 billion still uncollected from $72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022.
• Recipients who cannot afford the reductions or believe they were charged in error can request waivers or negotiate repayment plans through the SSA.
• The scaled-back 50 percent rate replaces an earlier proposal to withhold full benefits until debts were cleared, a plan reversed following public and media backlash.