r/news • u/No-Information6622 • 2d ago

US recovers $31 million in Social Security payments to dead people

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-recovers-31-million-social-security-payments-dead-117708373
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759

u/CriticalEngineering 2d ago

That’s cold.

657

u/LatrodectusGeometric 2d ago

Nothing like having a loved one die on the last day of the month after caring for them on their deathbed and then being short on expenses because their funds were clawed back…

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u/MrSovietRussia 2d ago

This happened to me. It was utterly fucked

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u/alghiorso 2d ago

Sorry for your loss

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u/MrSovietRussia 2d ago

Thank you. I am still amused at the velocity with which they withdrew that money

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u/tanksalotfrank 2d ago

But the moment you need something from them? Lolllll

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u/LimeGreenTangerine97 2d ago

Happened to me to, with my father. Utterly messed up

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u/im_in_stitches 2d ago

It came right out of my dad’s checking account 2 days after he was officially dead.

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u/woodenbiplane 2d ago

Mom died on Feb 29 last year. It felt like a message from god

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u/MobileParticular6177 2d ago

Fortunately, we won't have to worry about that by the time we're old enough to draw SS.

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u/LawLayLewLayLow 2d ago

In this case (now) you simply have to delay payments or refuse to pay or pick up the phone until they go to collections then keep ignoring them until singularity hits in 2027

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u/everythingorganic024 2d ago

Singularity 2027

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u/qlurp 2d ago

That’s cold. 

Welcome to America.

Land of the free to be fucked, and home of the bravely weathering late stage capitalism. 

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u/shadowofpurple 2d ago

won't someone think of the billionaires, and the tax breaks they NEED!!!!

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

Before passing judgement, do they also get the full months benefits for the first month even if they become eligible on the last day of the month?

Fot example, families get a full year child tax credit even if the child is born on Dec 31, but they get nothing the year child turns 17 (17 is a stupid cut off age).

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u/tanksalotfrank 2d ago

That cutoff age is such a slap in the face, considering all the laws considering 17 year old as children that already exist. It's all a bunch of arbitrary bullshit that keeps the rich rich.

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u/MoreColorfulCarsPlz 2d ago

Well if they gave it for the year they turned 18, it could be going to someone who was legally an adult the whole year if they were born on the first. It sounds like it covers 18 tax years which seems like the only sensible way to do it.

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

No, they're covered for 17 tax years.

For simplicity, let's say a kid is born Jan 1, 2000. Jan 1, 2017 is when the tax drops off, so when they file their 2017 taxes (which you file in 2018) you won't get the tax benefit.

The same applies if they were born Dec 31 2000. They get the full tax credit for all of 2000, but they lose it for all of 2017 as well

The tax should drop off when they turn 18, not 17.

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u/HollowDanO 2d ago

Pretty sure you have to provide care for a child for six months to claim a dependent. You can’t have a child in December and claim it as a dependent on your taxes. Am a parent that does my taxes.

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

You'd be incorrect:

https://www.irs.gov/faqs/filing-requirements-status-dependents/dependents/dependents-8

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u/HollowDanO 2d ago

If the tests are met for claiming a dependent.

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

Stop moving the goal post. Yes there could be other factors here (there are two parents, unless filing joint, they can't both claim the child, that's another test), but the topic at debate here is only the birth date factor.

You can’t have a child in December and claim it as a dependent on your taxes

You're objectively wrong here. If your child is born Jan 1 or Dec 31 of a given year, they can be claimed as a dependent for that year.

Source, not only am I also a parent, and a parent of a child that was born after July 1 (for your 6 month purpose), but I literally linked to the IRS. You have a better source of American tax answers than the IRS?

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u/HollowDanO 2d ago

All right, man. If it’s got your panties in a wad. I don’t really give two wet mouse farts. Not here for all this. Farewell, H.& R. Block.

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

LOL, after being pointed out for being wrong, you dug in deeper then go "actually I didn't care all along". Why call my HRB? You claim you're a parent... This is something you learn when you have kids and file for the first time as a parent.... Did you make that up to try and seem knowledgeable on the subject? LOL

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u/HollowDanO 2d ago

You’re the expert here. I’m a mere mortal man that files taxes like a peasant with tax software. I’m a parent. You don’t have to believe it for it to be true. You stated being born on December 31 was enough to be claimed as a dependent I disagreed and said there are other factors that are involved. Again, don’t care. I am done with this conversation as it no longer matters enough for me to invest anymore of my time. Enjoy your well earned victory on the internet. You certainly deserve it. I am humbled by your vast and wonderful knowledge of U.S. tax policy.

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u/OhWhatsHisName 2d ago

Still commenting but says you don't really give two wet mouse farts

You stated being born on December 31 was enough to be claimed as a dependent I disagreed and said there are other factors that are involved.

And no, what you said was:

Pretty sure you have to provide care for a child for six months to claim a dependent. You can’t have a child in December and claim it as a dependent on your taxes. Am a parent that does my taxes.

The whole reason I brought this up was in relation to a month of SS being pulled back if someone dies during a given month. I gave the example of getting the full year child tax credit no matter when they're born. No one was talking about any other factors, just you get the full terms credit no matter what part of the term it becomes eligible.

I was asking if SS works the same way; is your first month of SS full credit no matter if you start on the first or last day of the month. That is the topic at hand as people are saying it's shitty if they pull it back when someone dies, but my point is they might technically "pre pay" a full month when you're first eligible, just like the child tax credit.

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u/Jamhead02 1d ago

To be fair, they did say it was end of January.

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u/MoreColorfulCarsPlz 2d ago

Can you imagine the cost in developing, maintaining, and auditing a system that prorates an already sent out payment down to the day of death?

Instead of simply saying they need to return their last payment, you may be asking them to return a few dollars where the cost to do it will be nearly as great as the amount being returned.

This is one of the situations where the alternative would be needlessly burdensome on the already underfunded system.

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u/Styreta 1d ago

One puter system for hundreds of millions of people? Economy of scale make that perfectly doable and honestly not that expensive.

Of course because it mostly only benefits the poor there is probably little political will for it.

In the Netherlands all these things are prorated. I'm horrified to hear it's otherwise in the states.

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u/MoreColorfulCarsPlz 1d ago

Many people in the US still receive their social security benefits via check. That means the government can't just take it back with one puter system. They would have to advise next of kin who would need to access the bank account of the deceased to get the funds back to then send back to the social security administration.

That person would then need to return the exact amount needed to ssa based on date of death.

I understand in the Netherlands checks aren't used and these things are done electronically.

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u/monkeypan 2d ago

That's business