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In Sheffield Lake, Ohio, 65-year-old Ruth Podmanik is facing an unexpected and devastating challenge from the Social Security istration (SSA). After applying to receive her late husband's Social Security benefits, Podmanik was stunned to learn that she allegedly owes nearly $70,000 in overpayments made to her husband over a decade ago.
Her late husband, Ed, died from leukemia in 2012. During his illness, he briefly received Social Security benefits while he was out of work. Ruth says he was proactive in ing the SSA to question why he was still receiving payments after returning to work, but SSA representatives reassured him at the time that he was eligible due to his health condition.
Now, more than a decade later, the government is demanding the money back.
"I feel scared," Ruth told News 5 Cleveland. "Am I going to have to sell my house?"
This troubling scenario has come at a time when the Social Security istration is under increased pressure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to resolve financial inefficiencies, including erroneous benefit payments.
A growing number of seniors are caught in confusing overpayment claims
Although the SSA boasts a payment accuracy rate of more than 99 percent, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the volume of improper payments still adds up. From 2015 to 2022, the SSA made approximately $72 billion in overpayments, according to its Office of the Inspector General.
Podmanik's case highlights a flaw in the system where the responsibility to fix SSA errors falls squarely on the shoulders of grieving or aging individuals. In her case, Ruth says there was no prior indication she would be held able for any overpayment issues.
"Not once did they say anything to me about, 'Hey, you know you still got an overpayment here?'" she told News 5.
To make matters worse, she says her attempts to communicate with the SSA have led nowhere, and she's not alone.