I have a blind friend who receives social security disability. She started working part-time ?

Question

several years ago, assuming that SS would let her know if she was earning too much. After all these years, SS just sent her a letter saying she had been overpaid and was being going to have her case examined to see if she had committed a crime. She is scared to death because she doesn't even know what crime they think she has committed. What "crime" would they be referring to, or does this sound like a big bluff?

Answer 1

They are likely alleging that she fraudulently received SS benefits.

Provided she had been declaring her part time income, she shouldn’t be in trouble. She was supposed to be declaring it to them though, not waiting for them to look into it.  

Answer 2

The crime would be fraudulently collecting Social Security benefits. It is the responsibility of disability recipients to inform the SSA of any and all income received. If she did that and they never recalculated her benefits, then there's no crime. If she never told them the change in her status, there's a potential problem.

Edit:

Yes she needed to call or write to them to let them know about the change in income. SSA does NOT have anything to do with taxes being withheld and thus has no way of finding out automatically that someone is working. The site below talks about things that need to be reported to SSA.

Answer 3

There is a formula that Social Security uses for people who both collect benefits and work at the same time. It is legal to do both at least for a period of time. Its just that The Social Security Administration has to be informed of this by the recipient that they are working.It sounds to me that either your friend or The Social Security Administration dropped the ball on this one. It does not sound like from the way that you described the situation that there was any intention to defraud by your friend. From the way you phrased it crime is as long as there was no intention to defraud by your friend is to Social Security a word that just means something is wrong in her case. She may have to pay back some of her benefits. Usually some sort of deal can be worked out. Don't worry she won't be going to jail for life!