Social security reclamations
My question concerns a reclamation made on my checking account. My mother was receiving her social security payment direct deposit to her checking account. Since we use the same bank, I always helped with her bill payments by transferring monies, etc. When her final check was deposited, she had been in the hospital for about 2-3 weeks. As she was unable to write checks and as her power of attorney, I transferred money from her account to mine in order to pay her rent, utilities, and additional bills directly online. She died 1 or 2 days before the end of the month (February 27, 2008) and now social security wants that months payment back because she was not alive for the full month! They have now put a hold on my checking account (March 19, 2010) two years after the fact to reclaim the amount. I have been unemployed for two months and all I receive is unemployment compensation, and now have not one penny available to me. HELP!! What can I do? Are they allowed to do this after TWO YEARS?? Thank you. Dee