August 7, 2011 5:32PM
What you can do
What do you do if you are listed as dead in the Social Security Administration’s “Death Master File”?
First, contact your local Social Security office immediately. Do not assume the error will be corrected automatically.
Experts warn that the longer the error remains on file, the greater the risk of having serious problems with credit agencies, banks an institution that uses this record.
“How bad can it get? It can get to the point that you become homeless,” warned Jay Foley, executive director of the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center.
He said he helped an Arizona woman who was refused an apartment after she was listed dead.
“We had to get a doctor’s letter confirming that she was alive, believe it or not,” he said.
The SSA also will provide proof-of-life documentation if an error has occurred.
You can contact the SSA at (800) 772-1213 or find a nearby Social Security office via www.ssa.gov.
The official Death Master File is available online by visiting www.ssdmf.com. Other online versions, such as those found on genealogy websites, are not official and might not be up to date, officials said.
Scripps Howard News Service, staff reports
Updated: August 7, 2011 7:46PM