Casework

Casework Success Stories

Over the years we've helped hundreds of people some of their stories are below.

JG:
Even though J is married to an American citizen and has two young sons, he spent thousands of dollars on his application for permanent resident status. So when he heard that he might have to leave the country during the application process, the only place he could turn was to his congresswoman. Laura Richardson heard his story and went to work. Her office reached out to Immigration, made sure that J could stay with his family and helped him get his permanent resident card. In just a few short years J will be an American citizen.

 



A:
After getting the run around for years and years from the Social Security Administration about the benefits she had earned, A felt like she had nowhere to turn. Then she asked Laura Richardson, her congresswoman for help. Laura Richardson's office got in the touch with the Social Security Administration, got answers and figured out how to help. Because of her, A received the benefits she earned and back payments to cover the payments that were missed.



R:
As a senior citizen, R spent decades working to earn Social Security disability benefits. So when Social Security accused her of receiving an over payment and cut off her benefits and refused to take herphone calls she had nowhere to turn. So she turned to her congresswoman, Laura Richardson. Laura Richardson's office had R's benefits restored on a temporary basis during her appeal, stuck with her when her appeal was lost and helped her launch another appeal that restored my benefits for good. Thanks to Laura Richardson's office R now get the maximum benefits she earned and that is truly a blessing.

 



B and E:
B and his wife, E, called the office of Congresswoman Laura Richardson in need of desperate assistance with a spousal visa application. B and E had been trying to get an I130 appointment more than three years without success. Their case originated in San Diego and had been forwarded to the local Los Angeles office and lost in the process more than once. They had even engaged an attorney to prepare the appropriate work, but had stalled in receiving an appointment for the interview. 37th District Staff immediately contacted the U.S. Office of Immigration in Los Angeles to determine the status of the case. We were instructed to ask the applicants to provide additional documentation. After a thorough review of the case it was determined that she was eligible for an interview, and it was scheduled within two weeks. In a matter of weeks the department informed our office that the application was approved for Ekaterina to move forward to meet with an immigration office to determine if a visa would be granted. B was ecstatic with the results.

 

R:
Years after working with a paralegal to file for American citizenship, R had heard nothing from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and he decided that he needed some real help. That's when he went to Congresswoman Laura Richardson and got her working on his behalf. Her office figured out that R's application had been lost, and got him a permanent resident card within weeks. R is not a citizen yet, but he is now going through the process, and he is not afraid of being deported anymore.

 

T:
The first time T got breast cancer, her Social Security benefits allowed her to recover with dignity and get back to a normal life. Imagine her horror when she got breast cancer again and her benefits were denied. That's when she turned to Congresswoman Laura Richardson. Her office helped T file for a review of her claim and receive approval for benefits that are literally a life saver.

 

S:
When S started having seizures and couldn't work, her disability benefits were literally a lifesaver. The benefits she earned from years of paying into Social Security gave her the health care she needed and the means to live her life with dignity. Imagine the shock she felt when the Social Security Administration told me she would lose them. That's when she turned to Congresswoman Richardson. Her office helped her file an appeal, correct mistakes that had been made on her application and restore S's full benefits. Congresswoman Richardson's office even helped her receive temporary benefits to tide her over during the appeals process.

S:
S's husband earned his pension after years of serving our country in Vietnam. What S didn't know was that, as his widow, S was entitled to continue receiving the pension he earned, even after he passed. When S found out she was eligible, she applied for widow's benefits, but instead of receiving the benefits her husband earned, the VA told her that she couldn't handle her own finances and assigned a fiduciary to control the money. That's when she went to Congresswoman Richardson's office and asked her for help to have my benefits restored. With her help, the pension S's husband earned with his service was awarded to her so S could make ends meets. Just like her husband would have wanted.



M and J:
M originally came to the United States on a legal visitor's visa and was planning to go home when it expired. But then M met J, and they decided to build their life here in America. They applied for a fiancée visa so M could remain in the country legally, but while their application was being processed; her visitor visa was nearing its expiration date. Because M wanted to stay with her fiancé, but also make sure she was not breaking the law, M went to Congresswoman Laura Richardson's office for help in applying for Permanent Resident status. The help Congresswoman Richardson's office gave M and J made it possible for her to stay with him while obeying the law. Because of Laura Richardson's help, they will be able to start their family and build their lives in America. M will be applying for citizenship when she is eligible in a few years.

 

 

 

C.P.
C.P. visited the office of Congresswoman Richardson on June of 2011 requesting assistance with his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) overpayment of 10,000.00. He shared with our office that he had received this benefit back in 2001 and was later notified by the agency that an error was made and that he was responsible for the amount he was overpaid. He informed us that he has been disputing this unjust action with the agency for now 8 years and they continue to deny his multiple requests for reconsideration and waivers. These long 8 years have been extremely difficult financially, emotionally and spiritually for him. He lost his family, lost his home and had lost hope in life.

M.N.
M.N. came into the Long Beach Office of Congresswoman Richardson requesting assistance with his Social Security Disability claim that was initially denied. He shared with our office that he fell from a two story building at his job site during a construction project. His employer worked with him during his recuperation but eventually fired him. Our office immediately contacted the Long Beach SSA Office and were able to confirm that his initial claim was denied based on insufficient supporting evidence. We assisted M.N. with his appeal and requested for it to be expedited based on the fact that he needs medical attention and is suffering from financial hardship.In a matter of several months the claim was processed and M.N. was approved to receive SSA Disability benefits and is very happy with our office assistance.

J.G.
J.G. visited the Office of Congresswoman Richardson requesting assistance with his claim for benefits. He informed the staff that he has been in a eight year fight with the VA. Also, that he had retained the services of the DAV to assist and represent him with this matter. He shared that since he began working with the DAV, he has not been able to receive updates or the feeling that they are working in his favor and decided to reach out to our office.Our staff immediately began working with the constituent, the DAV and VA to resolve any misunderstandings between the parties involved. After submitting an inquiry our office was able to learn that he had been denied and had the option to appeal the decision. We assisted the constituent with his appeal and in obtaining a hearing before the BVA Traveling Board to expedite the process. After several months the BVA overturned the denial decision and the constituent was eligible to collect benefits which included a significant amount in retroactive pay.

V.H.
V.H. visited Congresswoman Richardson's Long Beach Office on April 20, 2010 after he had problems with his veterans Administration checks not being properly automatically credited into his bank account. This impacted V.H. in paying his bills, purchasing food and buying gas for his automobile. Congresswoman Richardson's office quickly reached out to the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration and discovered the bank failed to properly credit his payments to his account. With Congresswoman Richardson's help, V.H's case was resolved favorably on July 6, 2010 and his automatic deposits are now being correctly processed on time helping Howard to have an easier time meeting his expenses.

W.
Applied to the Veteran's Administration (VA) to get his pension benefits. VA had been non responsive almost a year. W. then contacted Congresswoman Richardson and her staff, who immediately called and later met with VA representatives. Within a month W's VA claim was favorably resolved, and he is now receiving 100% benefits, including retroactive pay.

I.
I. called the Office of Congresswoman Richardson in a very worried state. Her 68 year old father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, acute myeloid leukemia, and his only cure option was a bone marrow transplant. His diagnosis resulted in a desperate, dreadful and emotional life altering experience for her and the entire family. To add to their despair, her dad's only bone marrow donor was found in Mexico, and his donor would require an expedited visa in order to attempt to save her dad's life. After listening to her story with great empathy and sincere interest to help save her dad's life, the CD-37th Staff managed to arrange a visa appointment at the US Embassy and secured a Visa for her dad's bone marrow donor in less than a week. Irma and her family found the CD-37 Staff efforts remarkable!

K.
K. visited the Office of Congresswoman Richardson requesting assistance and guidance with his in-laws nonimmigrant visa applications. The relatives would be visiting the U.S for their very first time and are participating in the celebrations and parade of the Cambodian New Year held in Long Beach, California.37th District Staff contacted the State Department in Washington DC and assisted in the coordination of the submitting of the applications, scheduling of interview and facilitating the process to have the visas expedited. In a matter of a couple of weeks the applicants were approved and their visas were issued immediately.

L.
L. came into our District Office in Long Beach in June 2010 requesting help for her sister who had suffered a stroke and was subjected to forced wage garnishments from the IRS. Linda's sister was retired and disabled and living in an assisted living home in Long Beach. The sister was receiving two incomes; One from her County Employees Association retirement, and a smaller amount from her disability.The IRS threatened garnishing her retirement income which would have made her rent unaffordable. Her ailing health was in jeopardy also. Our office contacted the IRS and explained the condition of Linda's sister and had the garnishment lifted for good within a four week period. L. expressed her sincere thanks to our office for helping her sister who is recovering without any interruption of her income, and is receiving the medical services she requires.

M.
M. called the District Office of Congresswoman Richardson in a very worried state. His 85 year-old mother lives in her home in Carson, which had been owned by their family for almost 40 years. M. and his siblings had been out of the house for many years, and the financial strain of paying their own mortgages and that of their mother was becoming too great. They contacted their lender – a large national bank – and applied for a Loan Modification through the Federal HAMP program. The process was going smoothly, but took a sudden turn for the worst 6 months into their "Trial Period". The bank set a foreclosure sale date of May 31, 2010, which was very disconcerting to M's elderly mother. M. contacted our office and 37th District Staff sat with M, reviewed all of his documents, and contacted the Congressional Liaison at his bank's national corporate headquarters. With the help of Operation Hope, M. and the bank first got the sale date postponed to July 31, and later indefinitely. They ultimately got the Loan Modification process back on track, and by the end of July the bank approved M. and his mother's Loan Modification. M's 85 year old mother now will retain ownership of their family's home for the foreseeable future.

G.
G. had problems with the Postal Service, because he would miss receiving his mail at least 3 times a week, sometimes more. He called Congresswoman Richardson's office, who came out to his home to see what the problem was. After talking with the post office, we found that some delivery trucks had been obstructing G's mailbox on a regular basis, which prohibited the mail carriers from delivering. Our office worked with the delivery company and the postal service to solve the problem. Now G receives his mail every day.

V.
V. is a grandmother who assists her daughter with the care of her 5 grandchildren. One Saturday she went in for a routine oil change and service at the car dealership that sold her the family's Ford Explorer. A sales person came into the service waiting area and after some time, convinced V. that what she really needed was a new car, not to simply maintain the old one (which was only 3 years old!). V. "felt pressured to make a purchase" (her own words to us), caved in and traded her Explorer for a smaller yet more expensive car. Vicki said that when she drove it with her three grandchildren in it she felt very unsafe. The next day she asked the dealer to give her car back, but they refused.That's when V. called Congresswoman Richardson's office. The staff immediately contacted the dealer and asked for a sit-down. Together the three parties reached a resolution that satisfied V. and was workable for the car dealer. V. later wrote a letter to express her gratitude for our assistance.

A. and C.
A. and C. came to the Office of Congresswoman Richardson's Long Beach Office requesting immediate assistance with their loan modification with Bank of America. They informed the staff that they had been dealing with the bank for over two years and had spent thousands of dollars seeking help from realtors, brokers and attorneys only to find themselves alone and bankrupt. 37th District Staff immediately contacted Bank of America and after a thorough review and reconsideration they found the constituent eligible for a trial period. Our office was informed that the constituent made all payments during the trial period and their loan modification was permanently modified to a new and low monthly payment.



If you are in need of Congresswoman Laura Richardon's help with casework, including disability benefits, immigration assistance, or pension benefits, please contact her district office at 562-436-3828.