Social Security accidentally declares Dallas woman dead four times since 2017

DALLAS - A Dallas native has been declared dead by the Social Security Administration four times since 2017, despite being very much alive.

What we know:

94-year-old Helen Cvik was declared legally dead in December 2025 by Social Security. The problem is, Miss Helen is still alive.

It's the fourth time since 2017 that Miss Helen has been declared dead by the SSA, including twice in 2025 alone. The first and second incidents in 2017 and 2020 were resolved quickly, with no explanation given for the error.

In April 2025, after the third incident, Miss Helen's daughter Cheryl received a letter from the SSA apologizing for the mistake.

The most recent accidental declaration has not been resolved, leaving Miss Helen and her family to pick up a $5,000 bill to cover her insurance, prescriptions, and her assisted living facility care.

What we don't know:

Social Security hasn't given Miss Helen or her daughter an explanation as to why she was declared dead in any of the four occurrences.

What they're saying:

Cheryl Cvik told FOX 4's Shaun Rabb she tried to take matters into her own hands, taking Miss Helen to her local Social Security office.

"I took my mother, they did the process to prove that she was alive, took her I.D. and asked her a few questions," she told Rabb. That office told her to contact another office in Illinois.

"When we contacted them, they asked how long has your mother been deceased. I said she's not deceased. This is why they sent you the paperwork, because they told me that the processing center in Chicago would have to fix it," Cheryl continued. "They were confused, and they wanted to know why the Alta Mesa office sent them the paperwork. I said well to fix and correct the problem. I have not heard anything and that was two weeks ago."

"I'll be glad when it's over," Miss Helen told Rabb. "I hope I can live another ten years."

Dig deeper:

This is the second time in the last week Shaun Rabb has uncovered the Social Security Administration botching a North Texas native's access to vital funds.

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.

Rakestraw said she has relied on Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, as her sole source of income while battling kidney disease and cancer.

The day after FOX 4's report, Rakestraw received two calls from the Social Security office apologizing for the pause in benefits.