MUSKEGON, Mich. — The 13 Help Team is investigating after a Muskegon woman said she is being wrongly denied Social Security disability payments and was ordered to pay back years worth of payments by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Diagnosed with diabetes, mom and dog lover Tami David has received monthly Social Security disability payments since 1996.
"I have major eye loss, I had 26 eye surgeries, I went into renal failure," she explained.
In 2007, however, her level of disability changed dramatically.
"I am a paraplegic."
Her life changed forever.
"I fell out of a tree trying to rescue a cat," she told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, and "I have a spinal cord contusion at T-5 and T-6 which is a spinal cord bruise, and that heals at an eighth of a millimeter a year."
Now, David said the wheels on her wheelchair act as her legs. Everyday things many don't give a second thought to take more time, effort and hard work for David.
In 2009, she started working at the Social Security field office in Muskegon as a customer service representative.
"If you're walking into the Social Security office, there's something that has been life-altering. So when they come in, I'm the face of that, or the person that they get on the other end of the phone, and I have to explain to them what the next steps are."
She explained the federal government deducts what are called "impairment-related work expenses" from her gross wages. It explains this as, "costs for items or services that you need in order to work because of your disability." It's money she pays for her modified vehicle, her medications, her wheelchair and more. The amount that is left over then qualifies her for her disability payment.
"My disability benefits pays for my home and for my medical conditions and all my medical expenses," she said.
David said her eligibility for those payments is monitored and has been re-evaluated by the federal government several times. She fills out a form detailing how her disabilities impact her job and so does her boss. If the descriptions align, then the payments continue.
"Well, my boss did not properly fill out the form," David said.
She received a letter in the mail from the SSA in June 2023 that reads in part, "you are no longer eligible for Social Security disability payments as of April 2019 because of substantial work." It goes on to say, "because we did not stop your checks until June 2023, you were paid $96,622 too much in benefits." And, "you should refund this overpayment of $96,622 within 30 days."
Her monthly disability payments stopped and the agency demanded she pay back the roughly $96,000 she received since her last evaluation.
It's an amount of money she said she could never afford.
"It was completely devastating. It was shocking."
David added, "this has been everything to me for the last 14 years, at that time, and, how can this be happening to somebody who actually works for the agency?"
She went to her supervisor at the Muskegon SSA field office.
"I am subsidized and he says the agency doesn't look at a reasonable accommodations as subsidies. And I said, they're subsidies because they're helping me work as a normal, as an able-bodied person, as my fellow co-workers."
Since last summer, David said her parents have been giving her the money she'd normally receive through her disability payments.
"I would have lost my home if it wasn't for my elderly parents being able to help sustain my household."
She said she has contacted the SSA Commissioner, federal lawmakers and hired a lawyer.
This past May, she went before an administrative law judge who works for the Social Security Administration. David explained the judge ruled she was eligible for benefits during the time in question and does not have to pay back the roughly $96,000.
"She apologized for the agency and how I've been treated."
Since then, however, David said nothing has changed and she doesn't understand why. She isn't getting her payments and is still being asked to pay back thousands of dollars.
"I don't want anybody else to have to suffer through this because it is quite traumatic, it will leave a scar for quite some time, it's a wound if you will."
For a reason unknown to David, in July, she received a letter stating the amount owed to SSA dropped from roughly $96,000 to roughly $66,000.
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the SSA via email about David's situation. The agency responded:
"Thank you for reaching out. Respectful of agency employees, we cannot comment on potential personnel matters."
If you have something for the 13 Help Team to look into, call 616-559-13-13 or email help@13onyourside.com