In films, we constantly see how the main characters fake death, live in the status of the dead, and then spectacularly appear in the finale. In real life, situations when a person is considered dead, but he or she is actually alive are not uncommon, however, everything happens more trivially. So, one day a perfectly healthy resident of Indiana received a notification from the Social Security Administration about his death and for five years he has been trying to prove that he is alive and try to return the $10,000 that the Tax Service does not pay him in the form of stimulus checks.   

In this article, we will talk about the consequences of a situation where social services falsely consider a person dead and how to act in such cases.

Organizational Error

According to statistics, about 12-14 thousand people are registered as dead every year in the USA, although in fact, they remain alive. Social services enter their data (first name, last name, address, and the number of the insurance policy) into a special database called “death master file” and from that moment a person is deprived of all benefits. 

This list is included:

• Social security payments.
• Disability payments.
• Medical insurance.
• As soon as the data reaches the bank, the accounts will be frozen.
• The opportunity to receive refunds on tax returns will be lost.

At the same time, if an SSA employee made a mistake when filling in the data, then it will necessary to go through many verification steps before the error is corrected.

The Way Out of The Situation

If you have received a notification of your death or you have suddenly lost access to social services, then you do not need to panic. You should take several steps that will help to correct this annoying error as soon as possible.

Here is a complete instruction:

• Go to the Social Security office department attached to your address.
• Do not forget to bring your identity document with you. It can be a driver’s license or a military ID, but ideally take a passport, because this is the most reliable option.
• Fill out the “Erroneous Death Case – Third Party Contact” form and send it to all social services and banks where you have insurance, benefits, accounts, or loans, so as not to lose them.
• So that your credit history does not lose its reputation, you can contact such agencies as Equifax.com, Experian.com, or Transunion.com, which will help to remove the false message about your death in the banking system.

If you encounter bureaucratic difficulties, misunderstandings, or problems of various natures on the way to taking these steps, then contact a lawyer who is engaged in consumer protection.