Social Security Chief Promises Comprehensive Review of Payment Clawbacks Amid Controversy

The head of the Social Security Administration, Kilolo Kijakazi, has ordered a comprehensive review of how the agency deals with overpayments after it was revealed that about 1 million people a year receive notices that they were paid benefits to which they were not entitled. The agency has been criticized for issuing billions of dollars in erroneous payments and then demanding beneficiaries to pay the money back, often years later. Many of those facing clawbacks are poor and disabled individuals. The agency estimates that it overpaid people by $6 billion in the 2021 fiscal year and ended the 2022 fiscal year with $21.6 billion in uncollected overpayments. The review will examine the causes of overpayments, the confusing notices sent to beneficiaries, and ways to make the process more efficient.