I received an overpayment letter from the Social Security Administration. It says I owe them $7,744. What can I do about this?
First, note that you have 60 days to take some action. If you do not believe you were overpaid in the first place, you should ask for a review of your case, providing any evidence you have. If, however, you accept that you received benefits you weren’t due, then you normally must arrange to repay the money. But you can ask the SSA to waive, or write off, the overpayment if two conditions are met: (1) You can show you were not at fault in causing the overpayment, and (2) you convince them that you cannot afford to pay it back. To accomplish that second part, you’ll usually have to provide evidence of your income and expenses to show that repayment would cause you financial hardship.

I’ve been getting Social Security disability benefits for several years. When I turn 65, will I be moved to traditional Social Security, or will I keep getting disability checks?
Nothing will happen when you turn 65. But when you reach your full retirement age (67 for people born after Jan. 1, 1960), you’ll be switched from disability benefits to retirement benefits. The changeover will essentially be seamless to you, though, because the amount won’t change; a disability benefit is equal to a full retirement age benefit. The switch is just an accounting change within the SSA.

I was married to my first husband for more than 10 years. We divorced in 1984. I remarried in 2007 at age 55, but that marriage lasted only seven years. My first husband died recently. Am I eligible for any of his Social Security?

You might be. Normally, if you remarry, you lose any eligibility to your first husband’s Social Security. But if your marriage to husband No. 2 ends, then you become potentially eligible for benefits from No. 1. So if your first husband’s benefit is higher than what you are getting from your own Social Security, you could get the difference in the form of divorced widow’s benefits. Call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 to file a claim. As part of the application process, you will need to provide marriage and divorce papers. One further note: If someone who is already getting a survivor benefit remarries, that person can continue to get those benefits—as long as the second marriage takes place after the surviving spouse turns 60.