12/13/2024

NY man was on the verge of homelessness after his $97,000 Social Security check was stolen

Yahoo Finance

When Todd Kahler was finally approved for Social Security disability benefits after being denied twice and appealing the decision, he was surprised and delighted. He'd have the money he needed to support himself since he can't work as a result of being severely immunocompromised.

Expecting $97,000 in back pay from the Social Security Administration, Kahler withdrew from state benefits to preserve future eligibility and waited. The check didn’t show up, and when he called the national Social Security office, he got some very troubling news.

"The guy I spoke to was very nice, and he told me it had been cashed by somebody," Kahler told MarketWatch. "He told me who cashed it; at what bank it was cashed at. We talked for 40 minutes."

It's unclear exactly how his check ended up being stolen, but Kahler said he struggled to afford food and rent in the aftermath. After several months of advocating for himself in different ways, including calling government offices, filing complaints, speaking with the media and working with legal aid attorneys, the Social Security Administration eventually stepped in to return the funds.