HOUSTON – A Texas man says he spent weeks trying to convince the Social Security Administration that he was still alive after receiving a condolence letter informing him of his own death. The error halted his disability payments, leaving him unable to pay rent, buy groceries or maintain his wheelchair while he made multiple trips to a Social Security office to restore his benefits.
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Texas man declared dead by Social Security had to prove he was alive to continue benefits
What they’re saying:
“We have learned of the passing of Anthony Morales,” says the letter from Social Security.
Social Security Administration was sending its sincerest condolences.
But there’s a problem. The person reading the letter was Anthony Morales, who was not dead, and looking at a negative balance on his account. That’s because Social Security thought Anthony was dead, so they stopped sending him his disability checks.
It put him two months behind.
“I can’t afford rent. I can’t afford groceries. I can’t afford maintenance on my wheelchair,” said Morales.
He says he had to make four trips to the Social Security Office to convince them he was alive.
On the fourth trip, he had to write on a document, “I’m still alive.”
What’s next:
We reached out to Social Security on Anthony’s behalf. He says he was told his case is being expedited, and he should have his payments in three to seven business days.
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