A RETIREE claims he lost his Social Security benefits with no warning.
He worries the Social Security cutbacks may have to do with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
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James McCaffrey, 66, was born at a US Army base in Germany to a US soldier.
He has an American birth certificate, which is stamped and sealed by the US government.
Now, he fears he has lost his Social Security benefits due to widespread crackdowns on those born outside the US.
When asked what he looks forward to in retirement, McCaffrey mentioned spending more time with his family, particularly his grandchildren.
However, he is concerned that recent comments by Elon Musk could be the reason his benefits were cut.
Musk recently advocated for significant cuts to Social Security, calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and making unproven claims about fraud and ineligible recipients.
He also singled out undocumented immigrants, suggesting they were improperly receiving Social Security benefits.
Musk’s assertions were quickly debunked by economists, and former Social Security administrator Martin O’Malley warned that such cuts could disrupt benefits for millions of Americans.
McCaffrey, who had saved money to spoil his grandchildren, had purchased a new jacket for his granddaughter, only to be asked to buy another for her sister.
He also looked forward to traveling more with his wife as she neared retirement, but those plans were delayed when he received an unexpected bill for $740, due by the 25th of the month.
His Medicare premiums are normally deducted from his Social Security, but when he contacted Medicare, he was told the payment couldn’t be processed through Social Security, suggesting his benefits may have been suspended.
After waiting two and a half hours to speak with a representative at the Social Security Administration, McCaffrey was informed that his account had been suspended, with no prior notice.
He believes that all Social Security accounts with foreign addresses were suspended, regardless of whether the individual was born on a US military base.
“I just got a simple email on my phone,” McCaffrey told Nexstar affiliate KFOR.
“It said that my normal payment was going to resume in April.”
The email did not explain why McCaffrey never received his March payment.
After checking his bank account, McCaffrey found that his check had been deposited.
“Well, that’s fine and dandy, McCaffrey said.
“I enjoyed that, but they gave me no explanation.”
McCaffrey stated that he believed DOGE was indiscriminately suspended Social Security to anyone who was born overseas.
“I think they went into Social Security and suspended all foreign addresses, whether you reside at home, born on them,” he said.