Effective immediately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has restarted debt collecting using the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) for debts that accrued before March, 2020. TOP is operated by the Department of the Treasury. It intercepts federal payments to pay federal debts, including debts owed to the Social Security Administration. TOP was suspended because of COVID-19.
The Social Security Administrative estimates that 280,000 people will be subject to collection through TOP. (Social Security Matters, March 20, 2025.)