Wilfredo Pagan is useless. Or no less than, so says the Social Safety Administration.
In actuality, the 77-year-old Lengthy Island resident could be very a lot alive, and has been searching for a number of years to gather Social Safety advantages. However as a result of the administration has him listed as deceased, they are saying there aren’t any advantages he’s entitled to obtain.
“I am suffering because everyday I say, ‘Why do I deserve what happens to me?'” Pagan stated. “It’s a nightmare…I think they want to kill me.”
Pagan’s well being has been quickly declining in recent times, along with his medical payments and others piling up at house — proper alongside the repeated notices denying him advantages.
At his small retailer in Far Rockaway, Queens, Pagan makes a modest residing promoting religious candles and non secular statues. He and his household informed NBC New York they’ve been battling for the previous few years to show that he’s in reality alive, and in determined want of advantages he’s earned.
“They say, we’ll do an investigation, and we’ll call you. And — nothing,” stated Deana Bain, his goddaughter, stated of the Social Safety Administration.
Sadly, that has not been the one impediment Pagan has confronted. He stated when he initially went to the Social Safety workplace close to his house in Feeport, he introduced his Social Safety card. He claims it was confiscated by a employee who tried telling him it was pretend.
“I am a fraud? That’s what hurts me,” stated Pagan.
He will get emotional speaking concerning the insulting suggestion, including no authorities adopted up on the fraud allegation. He and his household stated they supplied his start certificates and different documentation displaying his Social Safety quantity was reliable. However they declare nobody within the workplace listened.
Including a little bit of insult to damage, Pagan had no bother acquiring a U.S. passport from the federal authorities in 2025, along with his Social Safety quantity listed on the applying.
Even after that, he continued to obtain dying notices.
“Everything has been blocked. And I’m not sure exactly why, but they just refuse to do anything,” Bain stated. “Any avenue he tried to go through, Social Security blocked it.”
As if the household did not want any extra confusion to cope with, Bain stated one level they have been informed another person was getting Pagan’s advantages by way of his Social Safety quantity. No additional rationalization was given.
“They told him there was someone in the Dominican Republic receiving benefits because the person died who was using his Social,” Bain defined.
“I’m entitled to that money. They don’t want to give it,” stated Pagan.
Pagan could possibly be owed hundreds of {dollars} in again advantages.
