Application of the $1,000 administrative tolerance depends on the total amount of a person's liability. Thus a person who is liable for several overpayments, which total $1,000 or more, even though each is under $1,000, cannot be considered for waiver under this tolerance. Likewise, if an overpayment of $1,000 or more has been reduced to $1,000 or less by repayment or collection, the tolerance does not apply.

Consideration of waiver under the tolerance is also dependent on overpayments to other members of the household. In single family situations where one request for waiver can be used for all household members, the largest liability any person has will determine if the tolerance applies. Thus if one household member has liability for an overpayment of $1,200, waiver under the tolerance cannot be considered for any other member of that household, even if his or her own personal liability is $1,000 or less.

If there is an indication that the person may be at fault in causing the overpayment, the tolerance cannot be used. Full waiver development is necessary. For example, the person requesting waiver is overpaid for the second time because of work and earnings. Since this is the second overpayment for the same reason, there is an indication that the person may be at fault. Also, if the overpayment was caused by receipt of duplicate payments and it has been proven that the person did receive both payments, there is an indication that the person may be at fault. Full waiver development must be done in both cases. This does not mean that without fault cannot be found, only that full waiver development is necessary. To determine whether a waiver request is appropriate under the administrative tolerance, you may use the Administrative Tolerance Decision Tree.

NOTE: An organizational payee is considered a “person” for the purposes of these instructions.

If the person requests a reconsideration on the amount of the overpayment and the person is liable for an overpayment of $1,000 or less, the reconsideration is treated as a request for waiver after the processing center (PC) makes a formal reconsideration determination or dismissal, if there will be no effect on current or future benefits (GN 02201.013E.1.).

Neither full development nor an SSA-632-BK (Request for Waiver of Overpayment Recovery or Change in Repayment Rate) is required for waivers which will be processed under this provision.

Either the Field Office (FO) (CSRs and higher), the Payment Center (PC), or the Teleservice Centers (TSC) (TSRs and SPIKES) can process any waiver request involving the tolerance. Only the PC can process reconsideration requests involving the tolerance.

Verify the amount of the overpayment before completing an administrative waiver request. If the requirements are met, input the waiver request to the system per MSOM DMS 006.002 (DRMU).

Annotate the waiver approval on the Debt Management System Remarks (RMKS) screen as follows: “Waiver approval; overpayment is $1,000 or less.” Send a waiver approval notice. Also annotate on the Remarks screen that a waiver approval notice was sent.

Until systems changes can be made, process these cases as follows:

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  Use the Waiver Disposition (DRWD) when processing waivers under $1,000. (MSOM DMS 006.004)

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  Use code 77 (Dollar Down Rounding) for the Decision Reason. (MSOM DMS 006.018)

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  Continue to use Waiver Approval Under $500 (Primary) DRWP and Waiver Approval Under $500 (Contingent) DRWC for waivers under $500. (MSOM DMS 006.006, MSOM DMS 006.007)