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Disabled women gets 40-year-old bill from Social Security Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 5:59 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:00 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 5:59 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:00 PM » Social News Wanda Ames was momentarily elated when she received a letter from the Social Security Administration over what she thought was a one-time increase on her disability check. “At first I was happy,” the 56-year-old Medford woman said. “I thought they were giving me extra money. I thought I was going to get 260 extra dollars.” For someone who lives on $766 a month from Social Security plus $350 for food stamps, the small windfall would have been a big help, especially as she worries that she and her husband may lose their modest west Medford house because they can’t afford the payments. Her 55-year-old husband, Michael, is unemployed and looking for work. But when Ames read the Sept. 30 letter a little more carefully, she discovered she actually owed Social Security $260.40, apparently as the result of a payment made to her mother when Ames was a child in California, more than 40 years ago. The letter from Social Security warned her that her December check would be reduced, which she said would be a major blow to her pocketbook. “If it isn’t one bomb, it’s another,” she said. Ames, who has spinal arthritis and other health issues, found out she’s not the only one to receive letters from Social Security about decades-old bills. “Of course, it’s not an isolated situation,” said Dorothy Clark in the Social Security press office. Clark said she didn’t have specifics on the number of letters the agency has sent out for back payments. Ames' problem stemmed from an act of Congress in 2008, when a new Farm Bill eliminated the 10-year statute of limitations for debt collection. That meant the government can go after any bill no matter how long ago it was created, even if it’s for only $260.40. Ames can file a waiver with Social Security if she can show that paying the bill would cause difficulty paying for food, clothing, housing, medical care or other necessary expenses. If she fills out the waiver in 30 days, and it's approved, the deduction would not be taken from her December check. Clark said anyone in her situation also can receive full repayment if they miss the 30-day deadline. Ames said she will file the waiver, but is puzzled over how she incurred the $260.40 Social Security debt in the first place. She said she thinks it happened when she was about 16 and her mother went on disability and claimed her as a dependent. Ames’ mother died about 10 years ago. “I want other people to know they might get letters like this,” Ames said. The Social Security letter states: “You were overpaid because you received payments on (Ames’ Social Security number) as a child.” The letter doesn't specify why the $260.40 applies to Ames' Social Security account. Even as Ames worries about the $260.40, she has bigger financial concerns looming. A federal program that paid the mortgage payments on her house has come to an end, and she fears she will soon be looking for a new place to live. Peggy Argo, housing resource specialist with ACCESS Inc., which administered the federal program, said the federal Mortgage Assistance Program ended in June. It was originally designed to help homeowners through the recession. The federal program provided financial assistance since 2010 to the 17 states that were the hardest hit during the economic downturn. “We helped over 900 families in Jackson and Josephine counties,” Argo said. “It was a really good program.” Families could get help through the program, Argo said, if they had suffered the loss of a job or a drop in income, divorce or death of a spouse, or health issues. Argo added that the housing market is tight in Jackson County and said families that lose a home may find that renting apartments or other housing is far more expensive than the mortgage payments were on their houses. Also, vacancy rates are currently very low. Argo said ACCESS tries to get families lined up with counseling to help them if they do lose their homes, including trying to find a new place to live. “We try to help them with the realities if they can’t stay in their home,” she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 5:59 PM Updated Nov 12, 2015 at 6:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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