FROM JANUARY 1974 TO SEPTEMBER 1978, $27.9 BILLION WAS PAID IN SSI BENEFITS. THE SSA IDENTIFIED 3.2 MILLION INSTANCES OF OVERPAYMENTS TOTALING ABOUT $1.5 BILLION, OF WHICH OVER $462 MILLION HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE SSA NEEDS A QUALITY SYSTEM, SIMILAR TO THAT USED TO MEASURE SSI BENEFIT PAYMENT ACCURACY, TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE OVERPAYMENT RESOLUTION DECISIONS AND ACTIONS CARRIED OUT BY ITS DISTRICT OFFICES. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE (1) ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR TIMELY PROCESSING OF SSI OVERPAYMENTS; (2) DEVELOPING IMPROVED INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN OVERPAYMENTS RESOLUTION FOR CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVES, TO INSURE THAT OVERPAYMENT CASES ARE AFFORDED MORE UNIFORM TREATMENT; (3) AND DEVELOPING AN AUTOMATED NOTICE TO INFORM RECIPIENTS WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN OVERPAID, THE CAUSE OF THE OVERPAYMENT, PROPOSED AGENCY ACTION, AND THE RECIPIENT'S APPEAL RIGHTS. A LIST OF RELATED REPORTS ARE APPENDED. (PRG)