CLEVELAND — Social Security problems have been emerging for people in Northeast Ohio as changes have been made to policy at the administration. However, what happens when you receive a notice from SSA stating that it will be taking money back, but it doesn’t make sense?
Social Security said a Cleveland man’s family owed a substantial amount of money, but there was one major problem with that.
“We were together in Port Orleans down there in Florida,” said David Carr, 74, as he was looking back on old pictures and reminiscing about his wife, Deb. “She was probably the best thing that ever happened in my life,” said David.
DEB CARR DIED IN 2020
Carr's wife in 2020. David said he then started receiving her Social Security benefits.
However, he had just received a notice from Social Security stating that she had received nearly $1,700 in unemployment payments and now they had to repay it.
Carr told us that the Social Security he gets helps take care of the family and their special needs children, who are now adults.
“The threat of taking this money—what did that mean to you?” we asked him.
“That was like a...like a knife right in the ribs,” said Carr. “And I thought, man, I can’t take that because they’ve already lost their food stamps.”
CARR TRIED TO GET HELP
So, with everything going on and knowing every single dollar matters, he went to his local Social Security office, but he said there were still problems.
“The guy wouldn’t even talk to me,” said Carr. “I mean, I had the paperwork. I was showing him the death certificate. How could she collect from March to September (of 2020) when she passed away in March?”
It appears someone else claimed those unemployment payments.
In 2024 alone, there were about 333,000 claims of “fraud, waste, and abuse in SSA’s programs and operations,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
If you suspect fraud, you can call 800-269-0271 or file a report on the SSA website.
Some advocates can be helpful, such as local Social Security expert April Roberts.
“Sometimes the math doesn’t math. It doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make much sense,” said Roberts in a recent interview. “It takes sometimes quite a bit of research and quite a bit of phone calls.”
Roberts has been an advocate for Social Security recipients for nearly 20 years, helping people navigate the complex system.
Watch more about Social Security problems people have recently had in the player below:
RELATED: This is a big deal for your Social Security checks and overpayments
NEWS 5 STEPPED IN TO ASSIST
Ultimately, Carr contacted News 5 Investigators, and we reached out to the Cleveland office. David said he just received a call stating that the issue is being resolved.
“We’re going to get a letter to you showing that you are cleared from all of this, and I was almost in tears at that point,” Carr said.
And now, he can get back to remembering the good times with his wife.
“She was just terrific,” Carr said. “Everything I wanted.”
