Philosophically, it can be difficult to prove a negative. One mother in Maryland is learning that firsthand as she has been struggling to prove that she did not die. When Nicole Paulino went to renew her driver’s license, she learned that the Social Security Administration had declared her dead.
Since that time, Paulino has struggled with more than just getting her license renewed. “This really, really messes up my life,” Paulino told the media, before breaking down in tears.
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When Paulino went to see about her license, the Maryland Motor Vehicles Administration received a message saying that she was officially dead, Sky News reports. “I got a little frightened,” Paulino said of her reaction when she heard the news. “I’m not gonna lie, and surprised, because I am alive. I’m here.” Officials told Paulino they could not issue her a new license.
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Around that same time, she received a letter from the IRS declaring her a “deceased taxpayer,” NBC 4 Washington reports, which has contacted several state government agencies to determine how Paulino was declared dead. Health insurance for Paulino and her three children has been canceled. Her medical expenses are escalating and she can’t get the inhaler she needs for her asthma.
Eventually, Paulino got a call from the Social Security Administration. It told her the confusion was the result of a typo. A representative told Paulino that a funeral home tried to report the death of someone else, but they gave an incorrect digit in the person’s Social Security number, leading the agency to declare Paulino dead. “It’s affected my health, my mental health and …” she trailed off, crying.
The Social Security Administration sent a statement to News 4, noting that it handles more than 3 million deaths a year, and that less than 0.33% of those deaths require correction. While the percentage may be impressive, that still accounts for about 10,000 incorrectly reported deaths.
The occurrence is so common attorney Joseph McClellan has made a whole business out of it. “This happens almost on a daily basis,” McClelland told the News4 I-Team in 2022. “The impact is the worst impact you can have on your credit report,” he said.
After News 4 got involved, Paulino finally got a letter from the Social Security office saying that she had officially been brought back to life. “I tried doing it myself and I didn’t get anything resolved,” she said. “If it wasn’t for NBC News that offered to help me, I would have never gotten this problem resolved.”
The Social Security Administration advises that anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation contact it as soon as possible. You’ll need to provide at least one form of current identification. The letter from Social Security will alleviate potential issues with other government agencies.
