20 C.F.R. §§ 416.550–416.556

Waiver of adjustment or recovery of an overpayment of SSI benefits may be granted when (EXCEPTION: This section does not apply to a sponsor of an alien):

Waiver of adjustment or recovery of an overpayment from the overpaid person himself (or, after his death, from his estate) frees him and his eligible spouse from the obligation to repay the amount of the overpayment covered by the waiver. Waiver of adjustment or recovery of an overpayment from anyone other than the overpaid person himself or his estate (e.g., a surviving eligible spouse) does not preclude adjustment or recovery against the overpaid person or his estate.

Without fault relates only to the situation of the individual seeking relief from adjustment or recovery of an overpayment. The overpaid individual (and any other individual from whom the Social Security Administration seeks to recover the overpayment) is not relieved of liability and is not without fault solely because the Social Security Administration may have been at fault in making the overpayment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, we will not determine any overpaid individual to be at fault in causing a qualifying overpayment (see § 416.550(c)(1)) unless we determine that the qualifying overpayment made to an individual or a representative payee during the pandemic period (see § 416.537(c)) was the result of fraud or similar fault or involved misuse of benefits by a representative payee (see § 416.641). In determining whether an individual is without fault, the fault of the overpaid person and the fault of the individual seeking relief under the waiver provision are considered. Whether an individual is without fault depends on all the pertinent circumstances surrounding the overpayment in the particular case. The Social Security Administration considers the individual's understanding of the reporting requirements, the agreement to report events affecting payments, knowledge of the occurrence of events that should have been reported, efforts to comply with the reporting requirements, opportunities to comply with the reporting requirements, understanding of the obligation to return checks which were not due, and ability to comply with the reporting requirements (e.g., age, comprehension, memory, physical and mental condition). In determining whether an individual is without fault based on a consideration of these factors, the Social Security Administration will take into account any physical, mental, educational, or linguistic limitations (including any lack of facility with the English language) the individual may have. Although the finding depends on all of the circumstances in the particular case, an individual will be found to have been at fault in connection with an overpayment when an incorrect payment resulted from one of the following:

We will waive adjustment or recovery of an overpayment when an individual on whose behalf waiver is being considered is without fault (as defined in § 416.552) and adjustment or recovery of the overpayment would defeat the purpose of the supplemental security income program.

We will waive adjustment or recovery of an overpayment when an individual on whose behalf waiver is being considered is without fault (as defined in § 416.552) and adjustment or recovery would be against equity and good conscience. Adjustment or recovery is considered to be against equity and good conscience if an individual changed his or her position for the worse or relinquished a valuable right because of reliance upon a notice that payment would be made or because of the incorrect payment itself. In addition, adjustment or recovery is considered to be against equity and good conscience for an individual who is a member of an eligible couple that is legally separated and/or living apart for that part of an overpayment not received, but subject to recovery under § 416.570.

Waiver of adjustment or recovery is proper when the overpaid person on whose behalf waiver is being considered is without fault, as defined in § 416.552, and adjustment or recovery would impede efficient or effective administration of title XVI due to the small amount involved. The amount of overpayment determined to meet such criteria is measured by the current average administrative cost of handling such overpayment case through such adjustment or recovery processes. In determining whether the criterion is met, the overpaid person's financial circumstances are not considered.