Priscilla Slack is 84 years old and, according to the United States government, has been dead for two years.
It all began in Florida when her husband died. During some Social Security Administration paperwork, someone mixed up the names, and since then Slack has existed on paper as deceased. They canceled her bank account, blocked her credit card, and even prevented her from voting, because a dead woman does not have those rights.
What should have been resolved in weeks dragged on for two years. Recently, the IRS sent her a letter accusing her of filing taxes using the Social Security number of a deceased person: her own. An agency spokesperson said the case had been referred to a special advocacy department. Social Security, meanwhile, has offered no explanation.
