When a Social Security Disability recipient does not receive the disability benefits that they are entitled to, it is referred to as an “underpayment” by the Social Security Administration. Underpayments occur when a disability recipient does not receive any of the benefits that are due to them or when the amount recieved is less than the awarded amount.
There are many instances in which a Social Security Disability underpayment may occur. If you receive your disability checks by mail and do not receive your check one month, that would qualify as an underpayment providing the check was not cashed. If you were to receive a payment from the Social Security Administration that was less than the payment amount you were supposed to recieve, that would also be considered a disability underpayment. A disability underpayment may also occur if a disability recipient passes away before they have a chance to deposit or cash their SSDI or SSI benefit check.
Another scenario in which an underpayment may occur is if your disability benefits have been subject to a treasury “offset” (usually due to unpaid student loans or unpaid taxes). Federal debts can be garnished from your Social Security Disability payments. If the debt you owe is paid in full and the Social Security Administration issues your monthly disability payment before their records can be updated, it may result in an underpayment of your disability benefits until the SSA's records can be updated accordingly.
If a Social Security Disability recipient believes that an underpayment has occurred, they should contact the Social Security Administration as soon as possible. In most cases, the underpayment will be addressed quickly by the Social Security Administration. Once you notify the Social Security Administration of the underpayment, they will begin an investigation and they will pay you the difference between the amount you have been paid and the amount you were owed by the Social Security Administration, if an underpayment was indeed made.
