Chad is doing everything he can to follow the rules, but mistakes by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are putting his financial security at risk.

When Chad started a six‑month, part‑time internship, he immediately notified SSA that he was earning income. He knew his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment would go down while he was working. But that didn’t happen. SSA kept paying Chad his full SSI benefit.

Chad didn’t want this extra money. He knew it was wrong, and he knew what it could mean later. If SSA decides to collect the overpayment, he could face a large debt. Chad also worries about what will happen when his internship ends and he needs his SSI payments to return to their typical amount.

Chad keeps trying to fix the problem, but the overpayments continue.

He has spent hours on the phone with SSA, sometimes waiting several hours just to have a 10- to 15-minute conversation with someone. He has also reached out to other professionals for help, making sure his records are correct and that SSA knows about the mistake.

SSA has told Chad and the people helping him that it acknowledges the overpayments. Still, the extra payments keep coming each month. For Chad, the stress keeps growing as the months go on and he keeps trying to correct an error he did not cause.

SSI rules can make overpayments even harder to manage.

On top of everything, Chad also has to stay under SSI’s $2,000 asset limit to keep his SSI benefits. That means he has to be careful about how much money he has, even as SSA keeps sending him money that he knows he should not be receiving.

Chad is doing everything he can to avoid going over the limit.

What troubles Chad most is not just what’s happening to him. He also worries about what the system means for other people with disabilities.

He sees people being asked to prove themselves over and over again to keep the benefits they need to survive. He hears leaders talk about “fraud, waste, and abuse,” but his experience has shown him how difficult it can be to navigate the system even when someone is trying to follow the rules.

As Chad put it, “I just don’t understand how these perceptions can go through leaders of Congress… and then create these barriers so that people can’t do things to alleviate the necessity of these programs.”

The fear of losing benefits can make work feel risky.

Chad knows many people with disabilities want to work and do more. But complicated rules, reporting requirements, and the fear of losing benefits can make it feel dangerous to try.

“The stressful part of it is like, okay, I’ll just stay where I’m at because I don’t want to deal with this any more than I already am,” he said.

The system doesn’t just slow people down. It holds them in place, making it difficult for people to take steps toward greater financial independence.

Outdated Social Security systems add to the burden.

Chad also sees how SSA’s own challenges make things worse. Staffing cuts mean long waits and slow responses. As Chad explained, “It’s an administrative burden… they just don’t have the staff to keep up with these things anymore.”

He has also found that SSA’s website doesn’t let him do everything he needs to do. Some tasks still require sending a fax, which he sees as outdated, hard to access, and not secure. From Chad’s point of view, these problems have only gotten worse in recent years.

Removing the SSI asset limit could give people more financial security.

Chad often thinks about how different his life would be if the asset limit were removed. He could save money without fear. He could take on more work without risking his healthcare. He could build a small safety net instead of living month to month.

Removing the SSI asset limit would give him room to breathe, plan, grow, and move forward without being punished for trying.

Chad’s story shows how Social Security’s errors, delays, and outdated systems shift the burden onto the very people the program is supposed to support. It shows why Social Security needs systems and rules that give people with disabilities, like Chad, the possibility to live with dignity, financial security, and hope.