B. List Of Box 3 Legends

The “Description of Amount in Box 3” may show one or more of the following legends:

1. Payments

• Paid by check or direct deposit – The amount paid to the beneficiary by check or direct deposit. This amount also includes prior monthly accrual (PMA) payments made after death but not monthly benefits and returned checks beginning with the date of death (DOD). See SM 00630.051 Beneficiary Deceased.

• Medicare premiums deducted from your benefit – The amount withheld from benefits to pay Medicare premiums for the beneficiary.

• Workers' compensation offset – If a beneficiary’s Social Security disability benefits are offset by workers' compensation, then this legend will show the amount offset, as required by law. However, this legend will not show reductions due to any other public disability program.

• Paid to another family member – This legend pertains to the facility of payment provision (Section 203(i) of the Act). The entry appears for a non-working beneficiary when benefits are paid to a working beneficiary who, because of work, would have received no benefits or only a partial benefit if Section 203(i) did not exist. (As of January 1996, this provision no longer applies).

• Deductions for work or other adjustments – This legend shows any Title II benefit withheld to recover a Title II, Title XVI, or Title XVIII overpayment. The overpayment may have occurred in an earlier year or incurred by another person. Note that when we withhold a Title II benefit to recover a Title II overpayment, the amount will appear in Box 3 and Box 4. However, when we withhold a Title II benefit to recover Title XVI or Title XVIII overpayments, this amount will appear in Box 3 only and no entry will appear in Box 4.

- https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0205002010