What Happens If You Don’t Report Changes to the SSA?

Avoiding Overpayments, Penalties, and Benefit Reductions

Introduction: Why Reporting Changes to SSA Matters

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you are required to report any changes that could affect your benefits. But what happens if you don’t?

⚠️ Will my SSI benefits stop if I forget to report changes?

⚠️ Can I get in trouble for not reporting income or living arrangement changes?

⚠️ What are the penalties for failing to report changes to SSA?

The short answer:

✔ Failing to report changes can result in overpayments, penalties, or even loss of SSI benefits.

✔ SSA can reduce your payments or require you to pay back money if they determine you were overpaid.

✔ In serious cases, failure to report can lead to benefit fraud investigations.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

✅ What changes you must report to Social Security

✅ How failure to report changes can affect your benefits

✅ How to avoid SSI overpayments & penalties

✅ How to report changes to SSA

✅ How Purple helps track SSI eligibility & prevent reporting issues

Let’s break it all down!

1. What Changes Must You Report to SSA?

If you receive SSI, you must report the following changes within 10 days of the next month:

✔ 1. Changes in Income

📌 Report if:

• You start working (even part-time)

• Your wages increase or decrease

• You receive other income (inheritance, gifts, settlements, pensions, or SSDI)

💡 Why? Income changes may reduce your SSI amount or make you ineligible.

✔ 2. Changes in Living Arrangements

📌 Report if:

• You move in with someone else

• Your rent or living expenses decrease

• You start living for free (e.g., a relative covers your housing)

💡 Why? SSA adjusts SSI payments based on who you live with and how much you pay for rent.

✔ 3. Changes in Marital Status

📌 Report if:

• You get married, divorced, or separated

• Your spouse’s income changes

💡 Why? SSA counts a spouse’s income when determining SSI eligibility.

✔ 4. Changes in Resources (Bank Balance, Property, or Vehicles)

📌 Report if:

• Your bank balance goes over $2,000 ($3,000 for couples)

• You inherit money, property, or assets

• You buy a second vehicle (SSI only allows one).

💡 Why? If you exceed the SSI $2,000 asset limit, your benefits may stop.

✔ 5. Leaving the U.S. for 30+ Days

📌 Report if:

• You travel or move outside the U.S. for more than 30 consecutive days.

💡 Why? SSI payments stop if you leave the U.S. for too long.

2. What Happens If You Don’t Report Changes?

⚠️ Failure to report can lead to:

• Overpayments (SSA will ask for the money back)

• Penalties (SSA can reduce your check by $25-$100 per violation)

• Loss of SSI benefits

• Investigations for benefit fraud (if SSA suspects intentional misreporting)

✔ 1. Overpayments – SSA Will Ask for Money Back

If you don’t report a change and SSA overpays you, they will demand repayment later.

📌 Example:

• You got a part-time job and earned $500 but didn’t report it.

• SSA later discovers the income and calculates that you owe $250 back.

💡 SSA can take the money from future SSI checks until the overpayment is repaid.

✔ 2. Penalties – SSA Can Reduce Your SSI Payments

📌 SSA imposes financial penalties for failing to report changes:

• First violation: $25 penalty

• Repeated violations: Up to $100 per failure

💡 If SSA finds that you failed to report multiple times, penalties can add up quickly.

✔ 3. Loss of SSI Benefits

• If you exceed the $2,000 asset limit, SSI will stop payments until you spend down your balance.

• If you exceed income limits, SSA may terminate benefits completely.

📌 Example: If you inherit $10,000 but don’t report it, SSA can stop your SSI until your balance drops below $2,000.

💡 Always report major financial changes to avoid benefit loss.

✔ 4. Potential Fraud Investigations

SSA may investigate unreported changes if they suspect intentional misreporting.

📌 Example:

• You work off the books while receiving full SSI.

• SSA finds out through IRS records or a routine case review.

💡 In extreme cases, SSA may pursue legal action for fraud.

3. How to Report Changes to SSA

✔ Best Ways to Report Income, Address, or Financial Changes

📌 Online: My Social Security Account

📞 By Phone: 1-800-772-1213

🏢 In Person: Visit your local SSA office

✔ Special Reporting for Work Earnings

📌 SSI recipients who work must report wages every month:

📱 Use SSA’s Mobile Wage Reporting App

📞 Call the automated SSI wage reporting phone line at 1-866-772-0953

💡 Reporting on time prevents overpayments and unexpected benefit reductions.

4. How to Avoid Overpayments & Keep SSI Benefits Safe

✔ Set a Reminder to Report Changes Monthly

✔ Use SSA’s Online Tools or App for Fast Reporting

✔ Monitor Your Bank Balance to Stay Below $2,000

✔ Check Your SSI Payment Amount Monthly for Errors✔ If SSA Overpays You, Contact Them Immediately to Resolve It

💡 Using Purple helps track income, assets, and SSI compliance automatically!

5. How Purple Helps Manage SSI Reporting & Benefits

💜 Track Your SSI Deposits – Know exactly when your benefits arrive.

💜 Monitor Your Bank Balance – Stay below SSI’s $2,000 resource limit.

💜 Receive Alerts for Income & Living Changes – Prevent SSI overpayments.

💜 Get Notifications If SSA Deposits Too Much – Avoid benefit reductions.

💡 With Purple, you can stay on top of your SSI eligibility and prevent reporting mistakes!

6. FAQs About Reporting Changes to SSI

What Happens If I Don’t Report a New Job to SSI?

✔ SSA will eventually find out and require you to pay back the overpaid amount.

Can I Lose My SSI If I Don’t Report Changes?

✔ Yes! If your income or bank balance exceeds the limit, SSA can stop payments.

How Often Do I Need to Report My Income?

✔ Every month if you are working while receiving SSI.

What If SSA Overpaid Me But It Was Their Mistake?

✔ You can appeal or request a waiver if the overpayment wasn’t your fault.

7. Conclusion: How to Avoid SSI Overpayments & Penalties

✅ Report all income, rent, and financial changes to SSA within 10 days.

✅ If you work, report wages every month using SSA’s online tools.

✅ Check your SSI payments for overpayments & fix errors early.

✅ Use Purple to track your benefits & prevent unexpected payment reductions!

💜 Sign Up for Purple to Monitor Your SSI Benefits & Reporting!