Opinion ID: 350203
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: to have an impartial hearing officer;

Text: 80 5. to receive a statement written by the hearing officer setting forth his decision and the reasons and evidence in support of it; and 81 6. to receive adequate notice. Notice 82 Social Security recipients have a due process right to receive adequate notice of recoupment, plainly and clearly communicated. The notice should inform the recipient of the basis for the recoupment, the procedural rights available to the recipient, and the consequences if the recipient exercises those rights. Under present regulations, a notice informing a recipient of these matters might state: 83 1. the alleged overpayment and the reason for overpayment; 22 84 2. the recipient's right to request reconsideration or waiver, or both, and the nature of each; 23 85 3. that the recipient must request reconsideration or waiver in writing within thirty days of receipt of notice in order to exercise these rights; 86 4. that if waiver is requested, the recipient has a right to a pre-recoupment hearing (as set forth in this opinion); 87 5. that recoupment will begin unless reconsideration or waiver is requested, in which case recoupment will not begin until the request has been finally disposed of by way of the required review procedure; 88 6. that the Administration will send appropriate forms upon receipt of a request for reconsideration or waiver, and that the local office will assist the recipient in completing and submitting the forms upon request; 89 7. any other administrative relief available, and an explanation of how to request it. 90 The judgments of the district courts are affirmed in part and reversed in part, and the cases are remanded.