Social Security Lawsuit Reinstates Benefits for Minorities

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Thousands of seniors and people with disabilities can now get their social security benefits back. ARNs Jenna Zwang reports that ethnic groups were disproportionately affected by a law misused by the Social Security Administration.
In 1996, Congress passed a law saying that those fleeing prosecution could not receive social security benefits. Anyone whose name appeared on an arrest warrant was denied benefits. This law affected nearly a quarter of a million people, taking away the money they desperately needed. Legal aides say the warrants often included traffic or other minor infractions. The crime didnt seem to fit the punishment, said Ryan Bradley, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
They clearly werent fleeing and they werent able to resolve these warrants because they werent in that state any longer, and in many cases they didnt even know that charges had been filed.
Rosa Martinezs benefits were cut off over a case of mistaken identity. She lives in California. Martinez was told she was no longer eligible for disability benefits because she was wanted on a drug charge in Miami. But Martinez had never even been to Florida. And the physical description didnt match either.
We actually have the information from the warrant in Miami and it shows at 8 inches difference in height, and it should be obvious that Rosa is not exactly towering.
The petite Rosa helped lead a class action suit against the Social Security Administration. Rosa said she did it so others could get their benefits back as well. The SSA settled the class action suit, making sure everyone with a warrant could still receive their benefits, unless the warrant was for escape or flight.
Thanks to god Im here putting this word out for all of these people who have been mistaken and for some reason their disability has been taken away from them, but they should could go back to their society and claim their benefits if they are not guilty.
Now the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is trying to get the word out to the 7,000 people in Los Angeles County that they may be eligible for restitution. The problem is that when they lost their benefits, many lost their homes and now have no permanent address. Reporting for Annenberg Radio News, Im Jenna Zwang.