Man told he was considered dead

Recently, an elderly man contacted the Ombudsman for assistance with a problem with the Social Security Administration. His regular Social Security monthly benefit stopped, so he called the SSA to inquire.

In this call he learned that he was somehow considered to be deceased. After presenting his identification and proving he was alive, he later received a letter that the agency would be sending a check to help until the benefits were resumed. A month passed without a check arriving, so he contacted the Ombudsman for assistance.

The Ombudsman made an inquiry to the Social Security Administration and learned that the problem was being addressed at a regional payment center. The computer system did not accept the input to reinstate the man, and so two payments made to him were returned due to the death status on his record. A helpful staff person at a local office had already contacted the man to invite him to come to the office and obtain a payment while the staff person was working with a colleague at the payment center to fix the problem. The man called the Ombudsman to report that he did receive a payment.

A few days later, the man called to report that the Social Security Administration had made a deposit to his account in the amount of $198, which was not the total amount. Three days later, the man received two deposits for the remaining benefits. He also received a notice informing him that his Medicare benefits were reinstated and that the death status on his account had been resolved.

The Ombudsman column, a production of the Joint Office of Citizens’ Complaints, summarizes selected problems that citizens have had with government and social services, utilities, schools and nursing homes in the Dayton area. Contact the Ombudsman by writing to 11 W. Monument Ave., Suite 606, Dayton, OH 45402, or by calling 937-223-4613, or by emailing ombudsman@ dayton-ombudsman.org or go online to www.daytonombudsman.org.