Government demands N.J. woman pay back $59,000

[chanel]

After receiving Social Security disability benefits for 10 years, the payments have stopped coming to Angelina Maria Colabella.

It’s not that the West Paterson woman’s medical condition has changed. Or that she slacked off on paperwork. She hasn’t gotten a full-time job or married a millionaire, nor has she hit the lottery.

Why no more checks? The Social Security Administration said it overpaid her nearly $59,000 over the past 10 years, and she has to pay it back.


THE NOTIFICATION

Colabella, 58, received a letter from SSA dated March 10. It said:

"We are writing to give you new information about the disability benefits which you receive on this Social Security record," it said. "We will tell you how we paid you $58,935.30 too much in benefits." The letter said she had 30 days to repay the money.

"I started to cry," she said. "I thought it was a mistake."

But it may not be a mistake. Colabella has had a part-time job for years. Most of the time, she didn’t earn enough to go over the maximum earned income permitted before Social Security/Disability benefits would be affected, she said. Once in awhile she worked slightly more, she said, because her employer would ask her to fill in for sick co-workers. She said it was never for an extended period of time, but for a few hours here, a few hours there.

Government demands N.J. woman pay back $59,000 | - NJ.com

Should she pay it back? Do you think she will?

I'd love to know what her "permanent disability" is.

 

[Mr. H.]

The government will end up spending $60,000 pursuing this.