SAN ANTONIO – A man with disabilities abruptly stopped receiving Social Security benefits in late March and early April because the administration inaccurately marked him as deceased.
The error led to suspending his benefits, leaving him and his family in a challenging situation.
Felicia Resendez, Joseph Arce’s cousin and caretaker, explained that Arce, who is 40 years old and has epilepsy, has received Social Security benefits for decades due to his disability.
“I’m disabled, and I get seizures,” Arce said.
The trouble began when the Social Security Administration notified Resendez and Arce that they had been overpaid for March. The administration requested the money back from the bank and stated that it would not be paying out benefits for April.
“They said he was deceased as of February 21,” Resendez said.
However, Arce is definitely not dead.
Arce lives with Resendez and, until recently, received a monthly check of about $1,200. He also had Medicaid and Medicare coverage, which has now been terminated.
“When he tried to go get his medication, he couldn’t get it,” Resendez said. “He was not covered. When he tried to see a doctor, he was denied because they said he had no coverage.”
No medical coverage while managing epilepsy can be dangerous.
“Joseph gets seizures about two to three times a week,” Resendez said. “He’s on emergency medicines. It’s very dangerous if he does not get his medication. He’ll be hospitalized for days.”
KSAT reached out to the Social Security Administration via email, asking how frequently people are incorrectly marked as deceased. Despite two follow-ups, the administration did not respond by the time this story was published.
“I just want to know when they are going to give me my money,” Arce said.
Arce and Resendez have visited the Social Security Administration office on Richland Hills Drive twice in person. They provided documentation to prove that Arce is alive and to facilitate the reinstatement of his benefits and healthcare coverage.
“It was very inconvenient because we had to take off work,” Resendez said.
Arce was supposed to receive his monthly check on April 3, but that payment has not arrived since then.
They were informed it could take an additional three to five business days for the funds to hit his account. However, bills are still due, and Arce and Resendez said they are still waiting to pay them.
“Rent, cable, CPS, and stuff like that,” Arce mentioned as the bills he contributes to.
This issue comes just one month after questions about the Department of Government Efficiency’s role within the Social Security Administration were questioned at the federal level.
This also comes in the same timeframe as thousands of living immigrants are marked as dead by the Social Security Administration.
Resendez encourages others facing similar situations to push for their benefits.
“If this were to happen to somebody, I would just say, ‘Don’t give up’,” Resendez said. “‘You have to fight. Make sure that you get the benefits that are owed to you.‘”
After speaking with their bank and the Social Security Administration, Arce and Resendez believe their issue will be resolved soon. However, an exact date for when the money will be in their account and when the healthcare issues will be addressed remains unclear.
