ATLANTA — An Atlanta woman recovering from congestive heart failure lost critical benefits and incurred tens of thousands in medical bills after the Social Security Administration mistakenly declared her dead, our sister station WSB-TV reported.
“I’ve been fighting, fighting to stay on this Earth and to stay alive,” Wells-Chapman said.
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Adrienne Wells-Chapman repeatedly contacted the agency to correct the error, but without success.
The Social Security Administration has previously reported thousands of erroneous death designations. In a statement, the agency said federal privacy laws prevent it from discussing the specifics of an individual case but confirmed it is looking into the matter.
“It was an error that I had nothing to do with, but it’s like I’m suffering from it,” Wells-Chapman said. “And it doesn’t seem like it’s an emergency to anyone to have it corrected.”
The Social Security Administration advises people who discover they have been incorrectly listed as deceased to:
- Contact their local Social Security office immediately.
- Bring at least one current, original form of identification, such as a driver’s license, passport or state-issued ID.
- Request a correction to their Social Security record.
- Obtain a letter from Social Security known as an “Erroneous Death Case” notice, which can be shared with banks, employers, credit agencies and other organizations affected by the error.
- Monitor bank accounts, credit reports and benefit records for additional issues caused by the incorrect death report.