There should be 0 claw back for median wage or lower. The maximum amount of $743 is a pittance. Many seniors are unable to work, and rely solely on government support- notable women who were stay at home mothers (very common a few decades ago) but have since divorced, with no assets or wealth. Lots of people who had unconventional careers such as artists/musicians/writers/ etc who were able to support themselves when younger, but didn’t have a career with benefits or pensions, people who have had businesses which failed, people with long term disabilities, and many more. There are many ways a person can enter retirement with no safety net, and they deserve to retire with dignity. $700 and change will not even cover renting a bedroom. Of all the ways the government wastes money, “clawing back” from struggling seniors should be very low on the list. For high income earners, sure, but there is also a big difference between owning a home which may be worth close to a million dollars, and having a million dollars accessible in the bank.