Still withholding benefits even after full repayment of overpayment!

I saw your piece on 60 Minutes and the segment on WGN TV. I also want to point out another issue you may not have considered or even heard about.

I was notified in June 2023 that all of the social security benefits I received in 2022 were determined to be an overpayment. This is actually correct even though again it was an error on the part of SSA. I retired in October 2021 and began receiving survivor benefits on my wife’s social security in January 2022. I did some consulting work for my former employer that was only supposed to last a couple of months and te earnings would have been below the limit for still qualifying for SS benefits. I learned in March 2022 they would need me to stay on until July 2022 and immediately notified SSA I would go over the earnings limit but they never stopped sending benefits. That is what led to the overpayment.

That is not my issue though. Upon receiving the overpayment notification, I repaid the nearly $21K overpayment in full July 2023 as requested, but SSA is still withholding my benefits and have thus far withheld 3 months of benefits in addition to the full $21K I have already repaid. I do not have any earnings in 2023 so should be receiving my full SSA benefits.

Numerous calls have resulting in no activity. I’ve only been told there is a note on my file that the repayment has been made but it is under review. I was initially told it could take up to 60 days for the repayment to clear on my account, but is is already over 90 days and approaching 120 days.

Now I am concerned if it doesn’t get clearup up by year-end, my SSA-1099 will be incorrect.

Thank you.