[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR422.310]

[Page 1084]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
               CHAPTER III--SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 422_ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
                       Subpart D_Claims Collection
 
Sec. 422.310  Collection of overdue debts by administrative offset.

    (a) Referral to the Department of the Treasury for offset. We will 
recover overdue debts by offsetting Federal payments due the debtor 
through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). TOP is a Governmentwide 
delinquent debt matching and payment offset process operated by the 
Department of the Treasury, whereby debts owed to the Federal Government 
are collected by offsetting them against Federal payments owed the 
debtor.
    (b) Debts we will refer. We will refer for administrative offset all 
overdue debts over $25.
    (c) Notice to debtor. Before we refer any debt for collection by 
administrative offset, we will send the debtor written notice that:
    (1) We have determined that payment of the debt is overdue;
    (2) We will refer the debt for administrative offset at the 
expiration of not less than 60 calendar days after the date of the 
notice unless, within that 60-day period, the debtor pays the full 
amount of the debt or takes either of the actions described in 
paragraphs (c)(4) or (c)(5) of this section;
    (3) The debtor may inspect or copy our records relating to the debt;
    (4) The debtor may request a review of the debt by giving us 
evidence showing that the debtor does not owe all or part of the amount 
of the debt or that we do not have the right to collect it; and
    (5) The debtor may request an installment payment plan.