Esther Chester

From time to time, our cases take unexpected turns. Sometimes in an effort to find what the constituent is looking for, we discover something entirely different, and occasionally better.

In this case, Ms. Chester contacted our office because she thought her Social Security survivor’s benefits were not figured correctly. She had reviewed her own records and believed she was actually entitled to a slightly higher monthly benefit. She called our office and we forwarded her concerns on to the Social Security office. Sometimes when we ask Social Security to look into constituent's records, they find exactly what the constituent suspects, and increase their benefits accordingly. Usually, though, the benefit is calculated correctly, and we have to tell the constituent that unfortunately they are receiving the entire benefit to which they are entitled. This was the case with Ms. Chester’s survivor benefit, and we thought that would bring her case to its conclusion.

However, there was an unexpected twist. In reviewing Ms. Chester’s records, the Social Security office discovered that while she was not entitled to an additional survivor benefit, her own benefits had, in fact, been miscalculated. Not only was her monthly benefit due to be increased, but as a result of the miscalculation, she was also due a back-payment of nearly $9,000.

Our office had the pleasure of informing Ms. Chester of the good news. Though her survivor benefits were not going to change, she was due to receive a large back payment for her own benefits. She was thrilled to hear that our research into her case resulted in a windfall, even if it wasn’t the specific outcome she had originally sought. 

If you review your Social Security statement, and suspect that something hasn’t been figured quite right, don’t hesitate to call our office. We will be more than happy to contact Social Security on your behalf and ask them to review your records to ensure that you are receiving the appropriate benefit. Most of the time Social Security gets it right, but from time to time, a little bit of research can really pay off.