Whenever the Commissioner of Social Security finds that more or less than the correct amount of benefits has been paid with respect to any individual, proper adjustment or recovery shall, subject to the succeeding provisions of this subsection, be made by appropriate adjustments in future payments to such individual or by recovery from such individual or his eligible spouse (or from the estate of either) or by payment to such individual or his eligible spouse, or, if such individual is deceased, by payment—

(i) to any surviving spouse of such individual, whether or not the individual’s eligible spouse, if (within the meaning of the first sentence of section 402(i) of this title ) such surviving husband or wife was living in the same household with the individual at the time of his death or within the 6 months immediately preceding the month of such death, or

(ii) if such individual was a disabled or blind child who was living with his parent or parents at the time of his death or within the 6 months immediately preceding the month of such death, to such parent or parents.

The Commissioner of Social Security (i) shall make such provision as the Commissioner finds appropriate in the case of payment of more than the correct amount of benefits with respect to an individual with a view to avoiding penalizing such individual or his eligible spouse who was without fault in connection with the overpayment, if adjustment or recovery on account of such overpayment in such case would defeat the purposes of this subchapter, or be against equity and good conscience, or (because of the small amount involved) impede efficient or effective administration of this subchapter, and (ii) shall in any event make the adjustment or recovery (in the case of payment of more than the correct amount of benefits), in the case of an individual or eligible spouse receiving monthly benefit payments under this subchapter (including supplementary payments of the type described in section 1382e(a) of this title and payments pursuant to an agreement entered into under section 212(a) of Public Law 93–66 ), in amounts which in the aggregate do not exceed (for any month) the lesser of (I) the amount of his or their benefit under this subchapter for that month or (II) an amount equal to 10 percent of his or their income for that month (including such benefit but excluding payments under subchapter II when recovery is made from subchapter II payments pursuant to section 1320b–17 of this title and excluding income excluded pursuant to section 1382a(b) of this title ), and in the case of an individual or eligible spouse to whom a lump sum is payable under this subchapter (including under section 1382e(a) of this title or under an agreement entered into under section 212(a) of Public Law 93–66 ) shall, as at least one means of recovering such overpayment, make the adjustment or recovery from the lump sum payment in an amount equal to not less than the lesser of the amount of the overpayment or the lump sum payment, unless fraud, willful misrepresentation, or concealment of material information was involved on the part of the individual or spouse in connection with the overpayment, or unless the individual requests that such adjustment or recovery be made at a higher or lower rate and the Commissioner of Social Security determines that adjustment or recovery at such rate is justified and appropriate. The availability (in the case of an individual who has been paid more than the correct amount of benefits) of procedures for adjustment or recovery at a limited rate under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence shall not, in and of itself, prevent or restrict the provision (in such case) of more substantial relief under clause (i) of such sentence. In making for purposes of this subparagraph a determination of whether an adjustment or recovery would defeat the purpose of this subchapter, the Commissioner of Social Security shall require an individual to provide authorization for the Commissioner to obtain (subject to the cost reimbursement requirements of section 1115(a) of the Right to Financial Privacy Act [ 12 U.S.C. 3415 ]) from any financial institution (within the meaning of section 1101(1) of such Act [ 12 U.S.C. 3401(1) ]) any financial record (within the meaning of section 1101(2) of such Act [ 12 U.S.C. 3401(2) ]) held by the institution with respect to such individual whenever the Commissioner determines that the record is needed in connection with a determination with respect to such adjustment or recovery, under the terms and conditions established under subsection (e)(1)(B).