Overpayment of Social Security - What?

Back on the 20th, I wrote about how I thought my nephew had stepped onto a piece of sticky red tape and gotten himself wrapped up inside a big ball of it. Tonight, I'm thinking I wasn't far off in my thinking.

We got a notice in yesterday's mail that Social Security overpaid him by $2230 and they will withhold benefits to recover it.

Now, get this. He's only been on this for not even two months. Yes, he did finally get some of the retroactive benefits for his disability claim. But I would much rather they had held everything, everything, off until they knew exactly what they should send.

Now I've got to call them first thing tomorrow morning, find out how they intend to get this so-called overpayment back, and if it is too drastic, I must try to talk them into something sensible.

Meanwhile, I am afraid to even buy groceries with what we have left for fear that we will suddenly be broke again, for several months.This is not a new thing with Social Security. 

I've heard similar horror stories over the past twenty years or so.  One of my friends had this happen to her and she had to send it right back or they would freeze her family's assets. Another friend told me that they will often just take a percentage. Still another friend said he had them withhold 4 months of benefits to recover his "overpayment."

Don't they make sure that their staff members can do basic math, and can enter data into the system correctly, and why can't they be trained to interpret that data correctly?

Sweet Jesus, please help us tomorrow. Please ensure that we are connected to someone who knows what they are doing, that they are compassionate, and that they can help us sort this mess out sensibly. Given how sticky red tape is in today's world, I'm afraid I'm asking you to move a mountain.