FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — The Ask Anthony team was on the road again this week.
The team headed to Fernandina Beach to help our viewers in Nassau County find solutions to their problems. One issue that caught our attention was a letter Lauren Holden received from the Social Security Administration.
"I've lost my husband and my daughter in a matter of few years. This was my life savings. Now, they're going to take it back," Lauren Holden said.
A letter from the Social Security Administration states that Holden was overpaid nearly $6,500 in widow benefits after the death of her husband. Now, the government wants the money back and she has 30 days to send a check.
"I told them I'd literally be homeless," Holden explained.
According to the Social Security Administration, more than $1.4 trillion in benefits is given to more than 71 million people each year. But, according to reports, hundreds of thousands of people are told every year they need to pay some of the money back, even if it's not their fault.
"I'm all alone and they tell me I can't work. But, they're going to take my money away," Holden added.
Anthony Austin emailed the Social Security Administration on Holden's behalf. He was told sometimes overpayments do happen due to the number of people the agency services, but most often, when a beneficiary does not timely report work or other changes that can affect their benefits.
Holden doesn't know the exact reason for her situation. But, she knows without her social security benefits she won't be able to make it.
The Ask Anthony team received a response from the Social Security Administration Thursday morning that it couldn't discuss the details of Holden's case, but a representative will contact her about the issue. Holden says she received a phone call on Thursday and is optimistic a deal will be worked out in her favor.
According to the Social Security Administration, if a person doesn’t agree that they’ve been overpaid, or believes the amount is incorrect, they can appeal. If they believe they shouldn’t have to pay the money back, they can request that the agency waive collection of the overpayment. There’s no time limit for filing a waiver.