PECULIAR, Mo. (KCTV/CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) - An elderly man is facing homelessness after Social Security ordered him to repay over $60,000.

  • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Apparently this isn’t uncommon. There should be a statute of limitations on how long they can request repayment back for their mistake, 6 mo max or something like that. That way you aren’t having to pay back decades of their fault.

    • CompostMaterial@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I would argue that if the government makes a mistake then it is on them to own the problem, not the citizens. I might make an exception for a partially large mistake, but presumably most people would report if they suddenly received a million dollars in their social security check so I doubt it would be that big of an issue. Any smaller mistakes should be a write off.

      • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 year ago

        I see a million pop up on me in social security I’m moving it to another bank, converting it to crypto hopping a plane to Ghana or some shit, buying up like $850,000 in silver, and enjoying the rest of my life.

      • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Banks make mistakes and this is generally how it works. Most people will not give 1M back. Statues make it fair.

    • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      This happened to my mom while she was terminally dying in a nursing home paralyzed in a wheelchair, yep the government just stopped giving her social security benefits and started garnishing everything. “oH SoRRy wE oVeRpAiD yOu, wE’rE tAkiNg iT aLL bAcK nOw.” She lived like 10 more years after that. absolute hell.

    • crashoverride@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      No, no repayment, if someone errors in your favor, they are at fault, not you. They must bear that repayment burden

      • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        While that would be ideal it’s also unrealistic. Banks don’t even operate that way because people make mistakes. A statute of limitations is fair to all.