A South Carolina man has spoken about his frustration as his life changed significantly after he was declared dead by the Social Security Administration.
Shane Melton from Charleston, South Carolina, said after this administrative error, he had his formal ID confiscated by the DMV, was fired from his job, and has struggled to get a new job.
Speaking to Live 5 News, Melton said he felt there was nothing he can do about the issue and that his actions to resolve the issue had been unsuccessful.
Melton said he realized the issue when he took a trip to the DMV to renew his license. He was then apprehended and taken into a back room where he was informed that he was dead.
Melton said: "They were interrogating me saying I was deceased and told me they were going to call the cops on me, confiscated my ID, so I left."
His wife, Morgan Key said this error has "upended [their] entire lives". The family has also had to move in with Melton's parents in order to cut costs.
She added that since being fired, Melton went to multiple job interviews but cannot be hired legally by companies.
Attorney Mark Bringardner spoke about the serious implications that can occur if an individual is wrongly declared dead.
Speaking to Live 5 News, he said: "That's going to prevent you from being able to take out a loan, apply for a job, pass any sort of background check, and your credit score will instantly go to zero.
"So, that will present a whole host of challenges that can't be fixed overnight and will take several months, if not longer, to fix between submitting the paperwork to the social security administration, as well as the credit score company to restore your credit."
He also noted that this issue happens to many people every day and is not a rare occurrence.
He added: "It's estimated this happens between 6,000 to 12,000 times a year or more, so that's roughly 20 to 30 people a day.
"Usually that occurs because of a clerical error at the Social Security Administration office, a hospital, a doctor's office, or somebody filling out a form incorrectly and checking the wrong box."
While there is no guarantee the issue can be resolved quickly, he added the faster the error is spotted and resolved the better. Bringardner closed by saying if anyone has been wrongfully declared dead the crucial thing is to contact the Social Security Administration as soon as possible and submit the correct paperwork to get the issue resolved.
Melton said he has visited the Social Security office with various paperwork to get the issue resolved three times with no success, however.
He said the items the Social Security Administration can use to prove he is alive all require a valid ID to obtain, things such as a passport or certified medical records.
Speaking on his frustrations, he said: "It could happen to anybody, I never thought it would happen to me until I go to the DMV one day and then 'boom, I'm dead,' there is nothing I can do about it.
"I didn't cause the problem and they are pretty much making me fix the problem when it is impossible to fix."
Newsweek has contacted the Social Security Administration via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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