410.535—Reductions; effect of an additional claim for benefits.
Beginning with the month in which a person (other than a miner) files a claim and becomes entitled to benefits, the benefits of other persons entitled to benefits with respect to the same miner, are adjusted downward, if necessary, so that no more than the permissible amount of benefits (the maximum amount for the number of beneficiaries involved) will be paid. Certain claims may also be effective retroactively for benefits for months before the month of filing (see § 410.226 ). For any month before the month of filing, however, otherwise correct benefits that have been previously certified by the Administration for payment to other persons with respect to the same miner may not be changed. Rather, the benefits of the person filing a claim in the later month is reduced for each month of the retroactive period to the extent that may be necessary so that the earlier and otherwise correct payment to some other person is not made erroneous. That is, for each month of the retroactive period, the amount payable to the person filing the later claim is the difference, if any, between (a) the total amount of benefits actually certified for payment to other persons for that month and (b) the permissible amount of benefits (the maximum amount for the number of beneficiaries involved) payable for that month to all persons, including the person filing later.