A 9/11 first responder says a surprise $30,000 Social Security overpayment demand has derailed his retirement plans and forced him back to work—despite repeatedly warning the agency nearly a decade ago to stop sending disability payments.
Mike Forgy, 57, who lives in the Washington–Baltimore area, had been preparing to retire after more than 20 years as a federal employee.
He accepted the government’s early retirement offer in early 2025, looking forward to having more time to enjoy life before his World Trade Center-related health problems grew worse.
Instead, Forgy says he was presented with a $30,000 bill tied to disability payments he had received about 10 years earlier.
Forgy responded to the World Trade Center disaster in the days following the September 11 attacks and has several government-certified medical conditions linked to his service. He told Our News Outlet that the timing of the demand was devastating.
‘I received a note from the Office of Personnel Management confirming my monthly pension payout, and the same day I received a note from the Department of the Treasury saying they would garnish my retirement because I owed $30,000 from an overpayment,’ he said.
The alleged overpayment dates to a period when Forgy was unemployed and briefly received disability benefits while stepping away from work to address some of his World Trade Center-related health conditions, he said.
When he returned to work, however, Forgy says he took the steps he believed Social Security required.
Mike Forgy, 57, says a surprise $30,000 Social Security overpayment bill has forced him to postpone retirement and return to work
‘I told the Social Security Administration multiple times, by phone and in person, not to send me any more money,’ he said.
Nevertheless, he says the alleged overpayment remained unresolved for years. Now, just as he reached the point when he expected to retire, the government is seeking to recoup the money.
Forgy says the Treasury has already seized his tax refund and begun garnishing his pension.
‘I will have to keep working to help pay off this debt, even as my health deteriorates,’ he told Our News Outlet.
The former federal employee said he was especially frustrated that the matter was not settled when he first notified Social Security that he had returned to work.
‘They waited 10 years and pounced on me, and I am sure others, once I was retired,’ he said. ‘This was a predatory maneuver, pure and simple.’
Forgy immediately contacted the office of his congressman, James Walkinshaw, after discovering the debt.
The congressman’s office contacted Social Security and began seeking answers about why the alleged overpayment had not been addressed earlier.
Forgy (pictured in the green hat) responded to the World Trade Center disaster in the days after the September 11 attacks and has several government-certified medical conditions related to his service
The former federal employee said he was particularly frustrated that the issue was not resolved when he first alerted Social Security that he was back at work
Walkinshaw has also cosponsored H.R. 2142, the Social Security Overpayment Relief Act, which seeks changes to how overpayments are handled. An identical bill has been introduced in the Senate as S. 1023.
Forgy said he has also met with Social Security officials in person but has so far been unable to resolve the matter. He said one question he was asked was why he had not simply kept the money and paid it back later.
‘They have stated they sent letters, but letters sent do not constitute letters received, or read,’ he said. ‘It obviously wasn’t that important for the last 10 years.’
Social Security overpayments can occur when the agency pays a beneficiary more than they are ultimately determined to have been entitled to receive.
They can arise for a variety of reasons, including changes in employment, income or eligibility, or administrative errors.
Once an overpayment is identified, the Social Security Administration can seek to recover the money, potentially through deductions from benefits or other collection methods.
For people who have been unaware that they were being overpaid, the resulting demand can come as a major financial shock – particularly if years have passed and the money has already been spent.
Forgy believes his case illustrates the problems that can arise when an alleged overpayment is not dealt with promptly.
Forgy said one of his main World Trade Center-related conditions is severe PTSD and that the dispute has exacerbated it
Social Security overpayments can occur when the agency pays a beneficiary more than they are ultimately determined to have been entitled to receive
‘If the SSA had stopped payments when I requested them or contacted me immediately after their overpayment error, I believe this issue could have been resolved well before now,’ he said.
‘Instead, they waited until I retired and are threatening to pull the pension I have worked for over 20 years to establish.’
The financial pressure has also taken a toll on his mental health. Forgy said one of his main World Trade Center-related conditions is severe PTSD and that the dispute has exacerbated it.
‘The mental stress of suddenly having a $30,000 bill dropped in your lap when you had planned to be retired is taxing,’ he said. ‘It’s depressing, exhausting and stressful.’
He said the situation has left him facing the prospect of continuing to work despite his health problems.
‘I was lucky to find employment not long after I left government, but it was half the salary I was making,’ he said. ‘If I had known this bill was lurking in the weeds, I would have stayed on.’
Forgy, who lives alone and has never married or had children, said he worries about what the debt could mean for other Americans who suddenly find themselves facing large government bills.
‘For people who cannot work anymore, they suddenly owe the government something equivalent to the price of a new car and they had no idea,’ he said.
Forgy, who lives alone and has never married or had children, said he worries about what the debt could mean for others who suddenly find themselves facing large government bills
‘For me, I’ll keep working and by the time this is all settled, it’s going to be something like 15-plus years since they made the mistake.’
He added: ‘They believe everyone is at fault when it’s them who made the error.’
As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approached, Forgy said the timing made the situation particularly painful.
‘Here we were on the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and now, on top of everything else, I associate it with this enormous bill they are demanding I pay back immediately,’ he said.
His experience comes as Social Security overpayments remain a significant issue for beneficiaries, who can challenge an overpayment determination or seek a waiver in certain circumstances if they believe they were not at fault or repayment would cause financial hardship.
For Forgy, however, the consequences have already arrived.
‘They have taken my tax refund and started to garnish my pension,’ he said. ‘Now I am in a difficult position that has worsened the strain I already endured in service to the United States.’
And after decades of federal service and responding to one of the darkest moments in American history, he says he simply wants the government to take responsibility for its own mistakes.
‘Their failure to manage their own programs is the issue,’ he said.
‘Instead of working to solve the problems, they have kicked the can down the road until they could jump on someone, which seems to be when they retire. Just frustrating.’
