ATLANTA — Five years after her grandson died and a decade after he allegedly was overpaid by Social Security, an Atlanta woman is just now being told about the overpayment by Social Security.
“This was not brought to my attention until I applied for disability for myself,” Penny Howell, 67, told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray.
Howell’s grandson was just 12 years old when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Howell, as his guardian, applied for and received SSI support for him.
But the Social Security Administration now says they overpaid for her grandson, Keith, by more than $13,000.
“This is over 10 years, and he’s been gone five. Five years ago, they could have said something about it when he was alive. Six years ago, they could’ve said something about it when he wasn’t alive, but no,” Howell said.
In a series of investigations, Channel 2 Action News, our sister Cox Media Group stations, and our partners at KFF Health News heard from more than 1,000 families who’ve gotten demand letters from the Social Security Administration asking them to pay back thousands -- or even tens of thousands of dollars.
But what started it all was a case similar to Howell’s
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Back in 2020, Channel 2 Action News reported how Ginger Snowden got a bill from Social Security that dates back 40 years.
“And I just kept saying over and over again, you know, that I was 14 years old,” Snowden told Gray at the time.
In Howell’s case, she is still receiving her Social Security retirement, but her supplemental Social Security Income check was cut to zero in July.
Back in 2024, when the Social Security Administration made changes to its claw-back policies after our reporting, then-SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley said they were exploring a statute of limitations for overpayments.
“Our goal will be to arrive at plain English language that describes and defines how far back on a person’s record one can go,” O’Malley said.
But that has not happened, leaving Howell facing a big debt as she begins her retirement.
“I don’t have this type of money. And when I do, they are taking what little bit I have,” she said.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Social Security Administration, which told us:
“Privacy laws preclude us from commenting on this case. However, we will reach out to Ms. Howell and provide any necessary assistance.”
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