Social Security recipients got unexpected overpayments, now they're having trouble paying it back

Call me crazy, but I think the government may be pretty bad at their job if they're sending all these overpayments, then demanding the system recover the overpayments and wasting time and resources sending out notices to Americans and asking them to give it back. I don't really know how social security works, but why can't they get a more accurate number? Why can't they stop making mistakes if it's a clerical error? Either way, if you accidentally overpay people all over the country, I don't think that's the person's fault - and if they're older and don't realize the overpayment was there, then what does the government expect to happen? I think these systems need to be made better so the payments are accurate and no one is wasting time chasing down paybacks. And ya know what, if the government overpays, then they'll probably be better off just letting the people keep the few dollars extra and move on. We have bigger problems in the country than someone getting an extra buck or two.

CBS News reported on the social security overpayments, saying the following in a news article report:

The Social Security Administration has a balance of more than $20 billion in overpayments, according to a November 2022 report by the agency's inspector general. A spokesperson said the agency is "required by law" to recover overpayments.

"Our payment accuracy rates are high," the Social Security Administration said in a statement, yet "even small error rates add up to substantial improper payment amounts."The agency said its privacy rules prevent it from commenting on individual cases.

During testimony before a congressional committee on October 18, Social Security Administration Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said 1,028,389 people were sent overpayment notices in the 2022 fiscal year and 986,912 in fiscal 2023.

Some of the people who received overpayments owe tens of thousands of dollars. Farmer, whose mother received Supplemental Security Income benefits on his behalf when he was a child, was told he owed $4,902, dating back to when he was 11.

Farmer's had surgeries and treatments for his cerebral palsy and says he can now live a "more or less normal life, with some limitations." He works full time and said he's never claimed disability benefits as an adult.