Here's a 'dead' person on Social Security in Seattle, with plenty to say

[blondebanshee]

“DOGE Has 10 Staffers at Social Security in Hunt for Dead People,” the headlines read this past week.

I found a dead person on Social Security. Right here in Seattle, on Capitol Hill.

Of course the circumstances of Ned Johnson’s death were completely the opposite of what Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had claimed was rampant.

“You wake up one day and discover you’re dead,” Johnson told me. “It’s been truly surreal.”

That’s the biggest difference — my deceased guy turns out to be very much alive. Musk is contending that hordes of dead people are listed as alive in the Social Security databases, and are fraudulently still drawing benefits (which the Social Security director disputes).

Johnson is 82 and still kicking. Yet sometime last month, someone or something led Social Security to both tag him as dead and start clawing back his benefits.

Johnson’s strange trip through the netherworld began in February, when a letter from his bank arrived addressed to his wife, Pam.

“We recently received notification of LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s passing,” it began. “We offer our sincerest condolences …”

At first she figured it was a scam — her husband, after all, was sitting right there. But then the bank got to the point.

“We know this is a difficult time, and we’re here to help,” the bank wrote. “We received a request from Social Security Administration to return benefits paid to LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s account after their passing.”

“There’s nothing you need to do — we’ve deducted the funds from LEONARD A. JOHNSON’s account.”

more at the link:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/heres-a-dead-person-on-social-security-in-seattle-with-plenty-to-say/

[moniss]

1. An example of how easily it can be done. nt

[Bluethroughu]

2. Every person affected should be able to sue elon personally

Because he is nothing but a traitor!

This IS HAPPENING BECAUSE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY VOTED FOR AN INSURRECTIONIST TO HAVE NO ACCOUTABLITY! THAT MAKES THEM COMPLICIT IN TREASON WORKING FOR PUTIN!

[JadedButHopeful]

3. DOGE and Co. playing with fire here...

Last edited Sun Mar 16, 2025, 12:57 PM - Edit history (1)

I knew that when they started hyping the number of "150 year olds" receiving SS that the goal was to do a batch cancellation of those people's benefits, rather than trying to figure out why their birthdates were wrong.

I'm sure this cancellation process is happening at scale AS WE SPEAK and is going to affect many SS beneficiaries.

If it happens to enough of them I think the public will demand the heads of all those involved.

[Ilsa]

4. And fElon and a fox interviewer don't understand that

young children might receive benefits when a parent has passed away, or if the adult child is disabled and a parent dies. They joked that the kid must have done something ingenious to have accrued benefits so young.

[IronLionZion]

5. Who's going to hold them accountable?

They will just say any of us are dead, or fraud, waste, and abuse, and claw back benefits. The world's wealthiest person wants tax cuts and sweet government contracts. And the rest of us are entitled to nothing. That's why they keep calling it "entitlements".

[Liberal In Texas]

6. It's not like the guy is 100 years old, he's only 82.

There are a lot of 82 year olds around who are living normal lives and aren't at death's door.

It's inexcusable that he had to go through getting the "mistake" corrected. It must have been very stressful.

[Figarosmom]

7. All of us collecting

Survivors benefits are at risk it would seem. Those assholes don't seem to know anything about Social Security. I suspect that because they will never collect they haven't bothered to look at the rules.

[Kali999]

8. we need

A class action lawsuit for Elder abuse
Thought about it for a week.