6 months ago
22
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City retiree says his Social Security benefits were suspended without informing — and with nary mentation fixed erstwhile helium reached out. He worries it whitethorn person to bash with the spot helium was born, and ongoing Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutbacks.
The man, James McCaffrey, who was calved to an active-duty U.S. worker astatine an overseas Army base, says due to the fact that of caller comments from DOGE person Elon Musk, he’s disquieted his benefits were chopped due to the fact that of his overseas birthplace.
Earlier this month, Musk, the billionaire caput of DOGE, pushed for large cuts to Social Security, calling it a “Ponzi scheme,” claiming the strategy is rife with radical fraudulently receiving benefits.
Particularly, Musk claimed during an interrogation with Fox Business, with nary evidence, that galore amerciable immigrants are receiving benefits, calling for them to beryllium removed from Social Security's rolls.
The Hill reported economists accidental the levels of fraud Musk has talked astir “just don’t exist.”
Earlier this month, NBC News reported erstwhile Social Security head Martin O’Malley warned that DOGE’s cuts to Social Security could disrupt benefits for millions of Americans for the archetypal clip since Social Security's founding.
Now, McCaffrey worries helium whitethorn person been 1 of the archetypal of them.
An unexpected measure and unanswered questions
McCaffrey said helium started to deliberation thing was often erstwhile helium received an unexpected Medicare bill.
“It said that I needed to wage $740 earlier the 25th of this period oregon I was going to suffer my Medicare,” McCaffrey said.
That seemed odd, since his Medicare outgo is usually deducted from his Social Security check.
“So I called Medicare,” helium said. “They returned my telephone aft a hold and told maine that they were incapable to process it done my Social Security payment, that determination was immoderate occupation with it. We talked for a bit. He benignant of fto it retired that helium thinks it’s a anticipation that my Social Security was suspended.”
And that — decidedly didn’t marque consciousness to McCaffrey.
“I thanked him for his clip and called Social Security,” helium said.
After much than 2 and a fractional hours connected clasp with Social Security, helium yet got a callback.
“They confirmed that my relationship was suspended,” McCaffrey said.
He says Social Security ne'er sent him immoderate benignant of announcement this was happening, truthful helium can’t beryllium definite the nonstop time his benefits were canceled.
But helium knows it indispensable person been sometime betwixt the time helium received his February Social Security cheque aboriginal successful the month, and Feb. 27, the day written connected the measure helium received from Medicare.
He asked the Social Security cause if determination was thing she could bash to hole it.
“She said she was going to input immoderate worldly and that she hoped that would instrumentality attraction of it,” helium said.
And by the adjacent morning, definite enough, the contented had been fixed.
“I conscionable got a elemental email connected my phone,” McCaffrey said. “It said that my mean outgo was going to resume successful April.”
The email didn’t notation thing astir the March outgo helium ne'er received.
He took it upon himself to cheque his slope account, wherever helium saw his March cheque had since been deposited.
“Well, that’s good and dandy,” McAffrey said. “I enjoyed that, but they gave maine nary explanation.”
For him to get an explanation, helium had to go his ain detective of sorts.
He thought backmost to an acquisition helium had 2 years agone erstwhile helium archetypal went to a Social Security bureau to use for benefits.
“The archetypal idiosyncratic I talked to astatine the Social Security Administration told maine that I was not an American citizen,” McCaffrey said.
McCaffrey was calved connected a U.S. Army basal successful Germany, wherever his begetter was stationed for progressive duty.
He has an American commencement certificate — officially stamped and sealed by the national government.
“I was connected American soil,” helium said. “I’m American. She told maine I was going to request to prosecute a lawyer, get a naturalization earlier I could adjacent use for Social Security.”
But erstwhile helium returned different time with his commencement certificate and passport, a antithetic worker told him determination was nary issue.
“Got a antithetic person, presented my things to him, and helium says, ‘I don’t request these. You’re fine. I don’t cognize what. She’s conscionable misinformed.’ And I’ve ne'er had a occupation with thing until [Tuesday],” McCaffrey said.
Then helium remembered thing helium had precocious seen connected TV.
Elon Musk, the billionaire successful complaint of DOGE, spoke astir Social Security during an interrogation connected Fox Business Network.
In the interview, Musk suggested, without citing evidence, that non-citizens successful ample numbers are receiving Social Security benefits, and called for them to beryllium purged from the system.
“[Federal entitlements] is besides a mechanics by which Democrats pull and clasp amerciable immigrants, by fundamentally paying them,” Musk said during the March 10 interrogation connected Fox Business. “If we crook disconnected this gigantic wealth magnet for amerciable immigrants, past they volition leave.”
That made McAffrey wonderment astir his ain situation.
“I deliberation they went into Social Security and suspended each overseas addresses, whether you reside astatine home, calved connected them,” helium said.
KFOR reached retired to the Social Security Administration for an explanation, but officials declined to comment, citing confidentiality rules, but the quality presumption enactment them successful interaction with McCaffrey.
He says a typical with the Social Security Administration called him connected Wednesday, but inactive offered nary mentation for wherefore his benefits were terminated.
“It makes maine wonderment however galore different radical are going to get — oregon person gotten — that aforesaid Medicare letter,” McCaffrey said.
He worries astir radical who whitethorn not person the clip and resources helium had to get to the bottommost of what happened and get his benefits back.
“I’ve been a diligent Boy Scout type, I prepared,” helium said. “But, no, I shouldn’t person to.”
McAffrey, 66, says determination was 1 happening helium astir looked guardant astir retirement.
"More clip with the grandkids,” McAffrey told Nexstar's KFOR.
He said helium made definite to prevention up capable status wealth to—quite frankly—spoil his 3 grandkids.
“I went retired and bought [my granddaughter] a caller jacket,” McCaffrey said. “She’s thrilled. And past her sister says, 'well, you know, she got a caller jacket. Where’s mine?' I said, 'I’ll get you one.'”
He besides looked guardant to being capable to question much with his wife, who is nearing status herself.
But helium thought each those dreams would person to travel to a halt, aft helium opened his message connected Tuesday.
“I’d hatred to person to crook astir and say, ‘Well, I person to interest astir my adjacent check,’” helium said.
He besides worries astir radical who whitethorn not stock the aforesaid savings oregon the aforesaid fiscal cushion that helium had to autumn backmost on. “And you interrupt that for 7 days, 2 weeks oregon adjacent longer, and they’re successful atrocious trouble,” helium said. “They could beryllium retired of the house. They could beryllium retired of food. I don’t know.”
