(a) Deductions, reductions, adjustment. Deductions because of earnings or work (see §§404.415 and 404.417); failure to have a child “in his or her care” (see §404.421); as a penalty for failure to timely report noncovered work outside the United States, failure to report that he or she no longer has a child “in his or her care,” or failure to timely report earnings (see §§404.451 and 404.453); because of unpaid maritime taxes (see §404.457); or nonpayments because of drug addiction and alcoholism to individuals other than an insured individual who are entitled to benefits on the insured individual's earnings record are made:

(1) Before making any reductions because of the maximum (see §404.403),

(2) Before applying the benefit rounding provisions (see §404.304(f)), and,

(3) Except for deductions imposed as a penalty (see §§404.451 and 404.453), before making any adjustment necessary because an error has been made in the payment of benefits (see subpart F). However, for purposes of charging excess earnings for taxable years beginning after December 1960 or ending after June 1961, see paragraph (b) of this section and §404.437 for reductions that apply before such charging.

(b) Reductions, nonpayments.

(1) Reduction because of the maximum (see §404.403) is made:

(i) Before reduction because of simultaneous entitlement to old-age or disability insurance benefits and to other benefits (see §404.407);

(ii) Before reduction in benefits for age (see §§404.410 through 404.413);

(iii) Before adjustment necessary because an error has been made in the payment of benefits (see subpart F of this part);

(iv) Before reduction because of entitlement to certain public disability benefits provided under Federal, State, or local laws or plans (see §404.408);

(v) Before nonpayment of an individual's benefits because he is an alien living outside the United States for 6 months (see §404.460), or because of deportation (see §404.464);

(vi) Before the redetermination of the amount of benefit payable to an individual who has been convicted of certain offenses (see §404.465); and

(vii) Before suspension of benefits due to earnings (see §404.456), for benefits payable or paid for months after December 1995 to a non-working auxiliary or survivor who resides in a different household than the working auxiliary or survivor whose benefits are suspended.

(2) Reduction of benefits because of entitlement to certain public disability benefits (see §404.408) is made before deduction under section 203 of the Act relating to work (see §§404.415, 404.417, 404.451, and 404.453) and failure to have care of a child (see §§404.421 and 404.451).

(3) Reduction of the benefit of a spouse who is receiving a Government pension (see §404.408(a)) is made after the withholding of payments as listed in paragraph (d)(1) of this section and after reduction because of receipt of certain public disability benefits (paragraph (b)(2) of this section).

(c) Alien outside the United States; deportation nonpayment—deduction. If an individual is subject to nonpayment of a benefit for a month under §404.460 or §404.464, no deduction is made from his benefit for that month under §404.415, §404.417, or §404.421, and no deduction is made because of that individual's work from the benefit of any person entitled or deemed entitled to benefits under §404.420, on his earnings record, for that month.

(d) Order of priority—deductions and other withholding provisions. Deductions and other withholding provisions are applied in accordance with the following order of priority:

(1) Current nonpayments under §§404.460, 404.464, 404.465, 404.467, and 404.469;

(2) Current reductions under §404.408;

(3) Current reductions under §404.408a;

(4) Current deductions under §§404.417 and 404.421;

(5) Current withholding of benefits under §404.456;

(6) Unpaid maritime tax deductions (§404.457);

(7) Withholdings to recover overpayments (see subpart F of this part);

(8) Penalty deductions under §§404.451 and 404.453.

[40 FR 30813, July 23, 1975, as amended at 44 FR 29047, May 18, 1979; 48 FR 37016, Aug. 16, 1983; 48 FR 46148, Oct. 11, 1983; 56 FR 41789, Aug. 23, 1991; 60 FR 8146, Feb. 10, 1995; 68 FR 15659, Apr. 1, 2003; 68 FR 40122, July 7, 2003]