Full question: I am a divorcee, married to my ex for more than 10 years. When he retired I applied for child in care benefits from his retirement, I was 62. Our oldest learning disabled -since birth (now age 40) lives with me. I was approved for child in care benefits in 2019. This past year I received a letter saying they made a mistake & that I owe them $4,000+, they garnished my wages. I sent all my documentation showing that I was qualified & that they were wrong in saying that I wasn’t. This documentation was sent in November 2023. I have not heard anything back from them. It shows on my online social security that it’s under review. I believe they have it so messed up now that they don’t know how to fix it. This whole process from the beginning took a long time, because no one seemed to know about the child and care benefits and that I could retire at sixty two without penalty and draw from my ex-husband’s .

Hi there,

Thank you for your questions on this topic.

I would need additional information to give you specific guidance as to what may have been mixed up, but when dealing with the Social Security Administration, persistence is necessary.

I would encourage to continue to reach out to your local SSA office to set up an in-person or phone meeting.

You can also find more details in the SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS) regarding Child-in-Care Benefits.

For personal assistance, you can work with an RSSA here.

Wishing you luck,
Martha

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