Some Social Security beneficiaries will receive reduced monthly payments starting in July. The reason behind this is the implementation of new overpayment recovery policies by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
In April 2025, it was announced that SSA would withhold 50% of the benefit payments of those recipients who were overpaid. Earlier, the withholding rate was 10%, Newsweek reported.
SSA policy change
The latest decision by the administration will affect nearly two million people in the country. All of them have received Social Security overpayments. Data from the efforts to reclaim overpayments in the financial year 2023 highlights.
A 50 per cent withholding rate will significantly affect those households which heavily rely on Social Security benefits and consider it their primary source of income.
Initially, the SSA in March informed that it aims to withhold 100% of benefits until full recovery of overpayments. Following criticism, it pushed back and settled at the current withholding rate of 50% (a fold increase from 10% in 2023).
Why does this happen?
As of April 2025, around 73.9 million people in the US benefit from at least one of Social Security’s programs, data from the Pew Research Center shows. The SSA beneficiaries comprise more than a fifth of the total population of the country. Due to such a large figure, not all claimants get their payments on the same day.
Overpayments in Social Security mainly occur when beneficiaries fail to inform about income changes or when it is incorrectly calculated by officials.
According to Newsweek, roughly $72 billion in improper payments were paid out between fiscal years 2015-2022, representing less than a per cent of the total benefits distributed in that period.
July 2025 Social Security payments
Beneficiaries will receive regular payments as per the standard schedule throughout this month. Those who received overpayment notices starting from April 25 will receive reduced payments from July 24, 2025. A 90-day notice period is given for the same.
Usually, Social Security payments are made on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of every month based on the birth date of the beneficiaries.
FAQs:
1. Will my Social Security benefits be withheld?
This can be addressed by making repayment to SSA via credit card, online or check.
2. Is SSA issuing more overpayment notices?
Yes, the affected people are expected to get an overpayment notice to settle it.
3. How much money is given as a Social Security benefit?
The exact amount depends on one person to another and usually changes on a monthly basis. These are based on the highest 35 years of earnings.
