There is NO surplus money, if debts are still owed. There might be extra money coming in, but that is not a surplus in this situation.
It is what comes of years of the press and politicians working to conflate "debt" and "deficit" in public mind.
Along the same line is balanced budget. Either a budget balances, i.e. assets = liabilities, or there else there is either an error or criminal activity. A budget is balanced whether it shows a deficit, surplus, or parity.
Now that I have looked up the word conflate I agree with you.