Philadelphia woman spends months fixing Social Security error that declared her dead
For more than six months, Renee Williams has been battling to get her life back on track after a Social Security error declared her dead.
Last fall, the West Philadelphia woman lost access to her bank accounts, health insurance and retirement benefits after being mistakenly placed on the Social Security Administration's "Death Master File." Williams turned to CBS News Philadelphia for help.
In the time since, reversing the domino effect the error had on her finances has been never-wracking and seemingly never-ending, Williams said.
"I go to sleep at night and think about if they're going to cut me off again, not knowing day-to-day what's going to happen to my benefits," she said.
"Really serious problem"
A local attorney is now bringing a class action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration for a mistake we've uncovered that impacts thousands of Americans each year.
The Social Security Administration and that of the more than three million deaths reported each year, "less than one-third of one percent" need to be corrected.
Still, it means nearly 10,000 Americans are wrongly declared dead each year.
Philadelphia consumer protection attorney Jim Francis said he's seen enough cases like Williams' come across his desk over the years to know he could no longer ignore it.
Francis now represents a Baltimore family bringing a proposed class action settlement against the agency. The family of Joyce Evans claims the misreporting of her death in 2023 caused several financial and health issues and ultimately contributed to her death just a few months later.
"These are all people who are going about their normal lives, and all of the sudden, they lose access to all of their benefits, their pension, their medical insurance and they become financially paralyzed," Francis said. "It's a really serious problem and in the world of data being misreported this is almost as bad as it gets, if not the worst."
The agency has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
It comes as major changes are underway, including the recent termination of 7,000 employees who were let go as part of DOGE cuts. The Trump administration has also taken aim at the opposite problem: benefits still being sent to people who are actually dead.
A found about $300 million in improper payments were made over five years between 2018 and 2022.
Getting back on track
As of early May, Williams said she's still dealing with lingering issues related to her credit cards and banking. In the initial weeks following the error, Williams said there were a handful of times when her monthly benefit checks were delayed. Her health insurance also inadvertently canceled her plan after reinstating it. Williams said she's since switched to a new insurance provider.
While things are looking up, Williams said she stands by her statement in November, when she told us that Social Security was, "a pain in the behind."
If a person suspects they have been incorrectly listed as deceased on their Social Security record, they should contact their local Social Security office as soon as possible, according to the agency's website. You can locate your .
The agency says you should be prepared to bring at least one current original form of identification.
Do you have a money question, a consumer issue, or a scam story you want to share? Email InYourCorner@cbs.com.
