Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Gloria Dean James says that she is a determined woman who will fight for what she believes is right. James has been embroiled in a dispute with the Monroe Office of Social Security for a number of years over what she believes are benefits that she is entitled. It all started in September 2017 after the death of her husband, though they were separated at the time. While living separately, James was receiving disability, and at the time of her husband's death, she went to the local Social Security office. James believed that she would receive her benefits through Social Security, but she was shocked when she was told that $2,445 "was owed", but according to James, was never given a thorough explanation of any back payments. James didn't start to receive Social Security until 2018. In the meantime, she continued to receive disability payments from September to December 2017. Dean says that the $2,445 taken should have gone to her following her husband's death. But the local office has insisted that the money didn't belong to her. James said that after making other calls to Social Security offices, records indicate that she personally doesn't owe anything. But James later found out that she was alleged to have received four(4)Social Security payments immediately following her husband's death in addition to continually receiving disability payments. According to James during that four month period, she only received one payment per month, not two, those being her disability payments.

James has been in contact with the local office numerous times asking that she be given the money withheld from her. She claims that money that should have gone to her, may have been sent elsewhere without her knowledge or consent. James' husband had a step daughter and son, though their relationship was allegedly strained. James also wonders where were those alleged four payments were going that the local office said was sent to her. James was receiving $831.00 per month, now it is $868.00. Being on a fixed income with monthly expenditures leaves James with nothing left over, is the reason why she wants the money that the local office took. James says that in May 25, 2020, years after her husband's death, she received a letter from the main office in Baltimore, Md., saying that she was overpaid in benefits and they are getting back "what it owed" them. James received the letter from Baltimore after she called the Monroe office numerous times and according to James, allegedly told the office in Baltimore not to send them(Monroe office)any more message from James to the Monroe office after she complained many times in Monroe. The Monroe office denied those allegations. Why did it take so long, James wants to know, as she is not satisfied with the answer that she got from Baltimore. But James says that she is not giving up. She says that she will be like the woman in the bible story that kept going to the judge until she got relief. It is her faith in God that she relies on, that the right thing will be done. "I am not giving up", said James.

Photo Gloria James