Texas born woman loses benefits, citizenship questioned
A 59-year-old Dallas woman battling cancer and kidney disease is fighting to restore her benefits after the Social Security Administration abruptly halted them, claiming she is not a legal resident despite her lifelong U.S. citizenship
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A Dallas woman will continue to receive Supplemental Security Income after a FOX 4 report on her case.
Ramona Rakestraw, 59, had her benefits paused in October due to questions over her immigration status, despite Rakestraw living in the United States her entire life.
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Immigration Status Concerns
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The backstory:
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Rakestraw said she has relied on Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, as her sole source of income while battling kidney disease and cancer.
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Throughout her illnesses, she said she received SSI benefits and was enrolled in Medicare Part B. Both her SSI payments and Medicare Part B coverage were halted for a period last year, she said.
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Her Medicare coverage was later restored, but her SSI payments were not.
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She later received a letter from the Social Security Administration stating:
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“We cannot pay you benefits because you are not lawfully present in the U.S.”
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Rakestraw said she was born in 1966 at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and has never lived outside Dallas County nor has she traveled outside the United States.
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Benefits restored
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What we know:
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The day after FOX 4’s report, Rakestraw received two calls from the Social Security office apologizing for the pause in benefits.
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She was told she would receive her payment for this month.
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What we don’t know:
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No details were given on what led to the pause in Rakestraw’s benefits or the belief that she was not in the country legally.
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The Social Security Administration told FOX 4 they are unable to share details on any case due to privacy concerns.
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The Source: Information in this article comes from interviews with Ramona Rakestraw and the Social Security Administration.