From WKRC:
A Florida woman says she's tired of trying to prove to government agencies that she is actually still alive after she was mistakenly declared dead two years ago.
Priscilla Slack, 84, told WFLA that after her husband died two years ago, she was also accidentally listed as deceased. The error began with the Social Security Administration (SSA) but eventually started causing problems elsewhere.
"First they canceled my bank account, and they canceled my credit card. When I went to vote, I was still canceled," Slack said.
Slack initially tried to laugh the problem off, believing it would be solved quickly. But over the last two years, the issue kept resurfacing, even after the SSA fixed the mistake.
Now, Slack says she's been dealing with the IRS, which sent her a letter claiming she filed a tax return using a Social Security number that belonged to a deceased person. Trying to resolve the error now has her going back and forth with the IRS and the SSA. …
I don’t see how this could keep happening, especially with another federal agency involved, unless there’s something wrong at Social Security.
Oh there are so many things wrong at Social Security lol
ReplyDeleteKnowledgeable SSA staff have jumped ship.
ReplyDeleteGive credit to DOGE and his chainsaw that cut thousands of jobs and brought agencies to their knees.
ReplyDeleteJust because IRS gets data from SSA doesn't mean they are using it. If SSA has got her back in payment status, then the IRS "knows" she's alive. If Medicare is paying her bills, then CMS knows she is alive, The problem is likely all on the IRS. The bad data got out but no one is dealing with the updates "because she's dead". SSA has no control over when and how IRS updates their records.
ReplyDeleteAll true, but that's why there needs to be planning and agreements when data sharing takes place, so corrections get noted and timely acted upon by all recipients.
Deletethe way it starts is that either the report from the funeral home to the state, or the state to the DMF, lists the SSN of the person who reported the death as the deceased's SSN. The way it keeps happening involves banks and other places using old versions of the DMF even after SSA corrects it, or the state continuing to report it to the DMF. It's rare but it's such a mess. SSA is sometimes the problem but often there are upstream and downstream problems that SSA can't fix.
ReplyDelete8:41 agree, During ITMod the death process was greatly improved after 7,000 people in virgina were declared "dead". The problem is after a mistake is made and SSA corrects the file the downstream outside entities are slow to update. Creating a massive mess for the living. I know people from the Virginia experience are still having ID issues.
DeleteWhen I reported my dad died (which was already reported from the medical examiner or the funeral home) I made SURE to ask if I am "alive" as we share the same name. They assured me I was not marked deceased. It's always good to make SURE SURE. That was my experience. I didn't want to end up on that list! I was told to call regardless of the reporting of my dads death and to make sure they got the right one. They did. Was good to reassure myself that I am still alive.
ReplyDelete“Sorry we said you were dead. Here. Have a fresh delicious pretzel.”
ReplyDeleteLet me guess! Her Senators and Representative aren't helping her resolve this...
ReplyDeleteThat type of thing does happen. year ago I had Safe Link Cell service via Tracfone. What a nightmare when they cancelled my phone! They said that according to public records I was dead. I had been using Tracfone anyway due to the pay as you go (lower cost) and when they cancelled My Safe Link they did not restore my previous texts, minutes, and data. I had to call dozens of times to get them restored and had to try to 'convince' the people I was telling the truth as they said they had no record of my past texts, minutes, and data. It took months and when i got to the point where I could have had the Safe Link activated again I was too nervous to do so, so just kept the paid service.
ReplyDeleteI am just saying that these things happen, much like identity theft or wrong info on your credit report and is not 100% Social Security specific.
This is a good warning of the downsides when rampant data sharing is done without adequate forethought and planning. What happens when false data gets shared widely and spreads like an infection to numerous sources that can impact a person's life? Are there systems in place to correct the error across the entire data sharing network, once the data is determined to be false? Or is the victim of the data error left to fend for themselves, at an enormous cost of time and expense? Data sharing should not take place until protections are in place to cover that scenario.
ReplyDeleteOne phone call to Frank should take care of both the SSA and IRS problems, right? Yeah, right.
ReplyDelete