Direct answer
SSI overpayments and waivers
SSA will send a Notice of Overpayment and typically recover the money by withholding 10% of your monthly SSI check — but you can request a waiver if the overpayment was not your fault and repayment would cause hardship.
File form SSA-632-BK for a waiver or SSA-561 to appeal that you were overpaid at all. Waivers are granted when both (a) you were not at fault AND (b) recovery would defeat the purpose of SSI or be against equity and good conscience. Ask about a change in withholding rate if repayment is unaffordable.
Sourced from ssa.gov — see citations below.
Direct answer: SSA will send a Notice of Overpayment and typically recover the money by withholding 10% of your monthly SSI check — but you can request a waiver if the overpayment was not your fault and repayment would cause hardship.
What happens if SSA overpays my SSI?
File form SSA-632-BK for a waiver or SSA-561 to appeal that you were overpaid at all. Waivers are granted when both (a) you were not at fault AND (b) recovery would defeat the purpose of SSI or be against equity and good conscience. Ask about a change in withholding rate if repayment is unaffordable.
Where does this rule live in SSA's regulations?
SSA publishes the SSI eligibility rules in the SSI Eligibility page on ssa.gov and the annual 2026 SSI figures at ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html. When SSA's public page and this article differ, ssa.gov controls.
What if I'm not sure I qualify?
Apply anyway. SSA determines eligibility on the facts of your case, and application itself protects the earliest possible filing date. There is no penalty for applying and being denied.
Topics
- ssi
- SSI vs SSDI
- eligibility
Sources
Every figure and rule on this page is drawn from official SSA publications. Verify at the links below.
- SSA — Understanding SSI Eligibility (ssa.gov)
- SSA — 2026 SSI Federal Payment Amounts (ssa.gov)
- SSA — SSI Spotlights (ssa.gov)