Woman, 84, Says She’s Tired of Proving She’s Alive After the Government Declared Her Dead Over 2 Years Ago

Priscilla Slack said the error has affected her bank account, credit card, Social Security benefits, voting status and taxes

NEED TO KNOW

• Florida resident Priscilla Slack, 84, said she has spent more than two years repeatedly proving to the government that she is alive after being mistakenly listed as deceased
• She said the error began with the Social Security Administration and she is now dealing with an Internal Revenue Service issue
• Slack said the mistake has affected her bank account, credit card, Social Security benefits, voting status and taxes

A Florida woman said she has spent more than two years repeatedly trying to convince government agencies that she is, in fact, alive.

Priscilla Slack said that the unusual ordeal began after her husband died two years ago, when she was mistakenly listed as deceased as well, according to NBC affiliate WFLA.

Slack, 84, said the error initially stemmed from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and ultimately created problems elsewhere.

“First they canceled my bank account, and they canceled my credit card. When I went to vote, I was still canceled,” she told the outlet.

At first, Slack said she was able to laugh off the mistake, believing it would be quickly resolved.

“I kept my sense of humor about it early on, because we can all make mistakes and push the wrong button,” she said.

But according to Slack, the problem has continued resurfacing despite her status eventually being corrected within SSA, adding that her latest issue involves the IRS.

Slack said she recently received a letter from the agency alleging that she had filed a tax return using a Social Security number belonging to a deceased person.

She said efforts to resolve the issue have resulted in her being directed back and forth between the IRS and SSA.

“How am I supposed to deal with these agencies who can’t deal with each other?” Slack told WFLA.

Slack said she now believes the government agencies involved should be responsible for correcting the problem.

A spokesperson for the IRS said the matter was being escalated to an advocacy department in an effort to resolve it, according to WFLA.

The SSA did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. The IRS declined to comment.

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