Man Loses Disability Benefits Because State Believes He's Dead

Cecil Gonzales, a man from Colville, Washington, got a shocking revelation from a letter from the government. Apparently, he died and the letter was offering condolences. The 53-year-old’s bad news didn’t stop with the news of his apparent death.

The letter also said that his household would no longer be eligible to receive his social security disability benefits, extremely bad news for Gonzales, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease.

Since August 23, when he received the letter, Gonzales has been fighting to prove that he is who he is. He found out that the problem originated with the Social Security Administration. He said that they told him it was likely that the problem was the result of someone typing in the wrong social security number.

The confusion resulted in a freeze on his much-needed food and medications. Since he receives his benefits by direct deposit, he also owes overdraft charges to his bank for withdrawing even though his funds were frozen.

Recently, Gonzales’ food and medical disability benefits have been reinstated by the state, but he is still attempting to clear things up with the SSA.