SSI Overpayment

Hello-

Our situation is as this> We moved from Kentucky to Pennsylvania. While living in Pennsylvania in a apartment we had our home for sale in Kentucky. We were unaware that once not in a home it turns into a resource which we later have learned. Also we eventually did sell our home and then used that money then to buy a home in PA. But the home needed fixed up as it was a foreclosure so while living in the apartment still we owned then a home in PA. Eventually when it came time to renew SSI they learned about the situation, and now we owe for the months that the home was not lived in because they claim it is a resource when you are not living in it but at same time it was not liveable because it was a foreclosed home and thus in non livable shape. Worst of all this is, this is my wifes SSI and but she is being penalized for this as I made the decision to sell our home to move to PA to buy a new home to be closer to family up here. But there is issues, like of course we could not live in the home till it was fixed up and its only normal to live somewhere else in order to fix it up. In the end here we owe $7,000 back which of course we cannot afford. So we gotta a letter of appeals here and thinking about filing it. Because we were not aware the home would turn in a resource and we cannot pay it back. I understand if we owned TWO homes one would be a resource, but the only home we had at ONCE just one home but because we did not live in it because it needed fixed up it turned into a RESOURCE even though we have ZERO intentions of reselling the home as we are not investors. So therefore we never considered a resource because of ZERO intentions selling it.

But after saying all this, we are afraid to file a appeal because of being retaliated against.. If this makes any sense.. See my wife now needs to reapply for SSI again because the home being as a resource over a year her case was terminated. I feel like she has been treated unfairly and unjust.. but also afraid to file a appeal due to retaliation.

Really do need help or assistance here