Bonnie Kerr spends most of her time on the phone or waiting in line at the Social Security Administration office.
It’s been that way since May, 2011, when Kerr, 77, said she received a letter from her insurance company saying she was dead.
The letter was addressed to her estate.
She’s been trying to get the error fixed for the last eight months.
“I’ve been stressed out the whole time, running here and there and on the phone a lot of the time,” said Kerr.
The grandmother is a diabetic, but the error has caused problems with her health care coverage and prescriptions.
“The doctors want you to take care of yourself. Go to the doctor when you’re supposed to, take your medicine when you’re supposed to, and all of a sudden you can’t do it,” said Kerr. “It’s scary when all of a sudden you’re dropped from having access to doctors.”
Both the Social Security Administration and Kerr’s third-party health insurance company say they’re researching the issue.
They don’t know where the problem originated but they hope to know more in the next few days.
“I can’t believe this is happening to me,” Kerr said. “I never heard of it happening to anyone else.”
Identity Theft Resource Center is a non-profit organization for identity theft.
On their website, they suggest victims find out who first reported the death, saying, “It’s important that you take appropriate steps to correct the information at the originating source.”
That’s what Kerr is hoping to do.
She doesn’t know the originating source yet, but is working with the Social Security Administration to find out.
“I’d like them to clean it up and never let it happen again.” she said.
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