Joseph Shapiro

She was just trying to do the right thing financially for her family.

She was just trying to do the right thing financially for her family.

She was just trying to do the right thing financially for her family.

I went to Philadelphia to visit Karen Williams, and she brought me to the Terry Funeral Home. It's a fixture in West Philadelphia. It's served generations of black families. And as one funeral service was ending, we met Gregory Burrell, the funeral home director.

I went to Philadelphia to visit Karen Williams, and she brought me to the Terry Funeral Home. It's a fixture in West Philadelphia. It's served generations of black families. And as one funeral service was ending, we met Gregory Burrell, the funeral home director.

I went to Philadelphia to visit Karen Williams, and she brought me to the Terry Funeral Home. It's a fixture in West Philadelphia. It's served generations of black families. And as one funeral service was ending, we met Gregory Burrell, the funeral home director.

Burrell came down to the lobby to meet with us. And he and William started talking about how past generations of Black families had little access to savings, but how their own parents and grandparents put aside money to pay for their funerals

Burrell came down to the lobby to meet with us. And he and William started talking about how past generations of Black families had little access to savings, but how their own parents and grandparents put aside money to pay for their funerals

Burrell came down to the lobby to meet with us. And he and William started talking about how past generations of Black families had little access to savings, but how their own parents and grandparents put aside money to pay for their funerals

Karen Williams, she didn't have an envelope tacked to her door, but she put money aside to save up for her policy. What she didn't understand, though, was that she'd bought the kind of insurance policy that had a modest cash value, that she could cash it in for $1,900. To SSI, that counted as an asset. Yeah, Lord.

Karen Williams, she didn't have an envelope tacked to her door, but she put money aside to save up for her policy. What she didn't understand, though, was that she'd bought the kind of insurance policy that had a modest cash value, that she could cash it in for $1,900. To SSI, that counted as an asset. Yeah, Lord.

Karen Williams, she didn't have an envelope tacked to her door, but she put money aside to save up for her policy. What she didn't understand, though, was that she'd bought the kind of insurance policy that had a modest cash value, that she could cash it in for $1,900. To SSI, that counted as an asset. Yeah, Lord.

In 2019, Williams got a letter from Social Security telling her, you better come to our office. And that's where a staffer told her that Social Security found records of that insurance policy, plus the couple hundred dollars that she'd saved in the bank. As a result, she'd gone over the asset limit by about $160 and had been for the last two years.

In 2019, Williams got a letter from Social Security telling her, you better come to our office. And that's where a staffer told her that Social Security found records of that insurance policy, plus the couple hundred dollars that she'd saved in the bank. As a result, she'd gone over the asset limit by about $160 and had been for the last two years.

In 2019, Williams got a letter from Social Security telling her, you better come to our office. And that's where a staffer told her that Social Security found records of that insurance policy, plus the couple hundred dollars that she'd saved in the bank. As a result, she'd gone over the asset limit by about $160 and had been for the last two years.

It said she'd been given an overpayment and it was demanding all of that money back, even though Social Security only discovered the problem now. And it gave her 30 days to pay it back.

It said she'd been given an overpayment and it was demanding all of that money back, even though Social Security only discovered the problem now. And it gave her 30 days to pay it back.

It said she'd been given an overpayment and it was demanding all of that money back, even though Social Security only discovered the problem now. And it gave her 30 days to pay it back.

Right. It was impossible. She didn't have that kind of money. You know, after she lost her SSI check, she had to get by with help from her children and friends. She found a lawyer at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia who helped her challenge the big bill she got from SSI. And eventually, Social Security started sending her benefit checks again.

Right. It was impossible. She didn't have that kind of money. You know, after she lost her SSI check, she had to get by with help from her children and friends. She found a lawyer at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia who helped her challenge the big bill she got from SSI. And eventually, Social Security started sending her benefit checks again.