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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
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.
Immigration Status Concerns
The backstory:
Rakestraw said she has relied on Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, as her sole source of income while battling kidney disease and cancer.
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.
Her Medicare coverage was later restored, but her SSI payments were not.
She later received a letter from the Social Security Administration stating:
"We cannot pay you benefits because you are not lawfully present in the U.S."
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.
Benefits restored
What we know:
The day after FOX 4's report, Rakestraw received two calls from the Social Security office apologizing for the pause in benefits.
She was told she would receive her payment for this month.
What we don't know:
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.
The Social Security Administration told FOX 4 they are unable to share details on any case due to privacy concerns.
The Source: Information in this article comes from interviews with Ramona Rakestraw and the Social Security Administration.